Collide
by J.Day
Summary: AU Faberry fic with Sam, Puck, Brittany and Santana. The story follows Quinn and Rachel's journey through NYU and Quinn's quest to win back Rachel a few years later
1. Chapter 1

_**1. Hometown Glory**_

As his foot hit the sidewalk off the last step from his apartment stoop, he looked up into the blue, slightly clouded sky and inhaled deeply. He picked his sunglasses out of his jacket pocket carefully and slid them over his squinting green eyes. Although it was a bright day, it was the first day of 'cuddle weather', as his girlfriend called it. Bright, with a crisp chill in the air. It was late September, Indian summer. His favourite time of year. He shrugged to himself and smiled at the sun and he knew, something about this day was going to be different.

He reached the subway station nearby and ran his hand down the railing as he had a slight bounce in his step, ready for his day ahead. He swiped his pass against the machine and pushed the turnstile around with his thigh as he slipped his pass back into his other pocket and slipped his sunglasses back into the pocket they originated from. Making his way onto the subway platform, he slipped his iPod earphones into each ear and shook the player to begin. As he clicked again, again and again to find a song to accompany him on his commute he raised his eyes and they rested on tall girl in front of him.

A green book intertwined her long fingers, a ratty old paperback, though he couldn't see the name of it. She had long blonde hair spilling over her shoulders and down over a cream coloured knitted cardigan, hanging open with what looked like wooden buttons. There was something…curious, about her. A light blue and white patterned dressed peeked out from under the cardigan and finished by her knee. Sparrow-thin legs lead into pulled up white socks and wedged mid-brown shoes. He didn't even realise he'd been watching her that long, when he felt a rush of air coming from his left, telling him the subway was about to emerge. He turned his attention to the dark tunnel, and something chilling trickled down his spine, and it wasn't just the air from the nearby tunnel. Almost in slow motion, he turned his head back to the right and took in the busy platform. Everyone avoided eye contact with each other, too busy with their attention on their newspapers, phones or iPods, just like his own. He turned back to the train coming out of the tunnel and then again to the curious blonde girl. His smile dropped as he knew something just wasn't right. He unhooked his earphones from his ears and dropped them into his pocket.

The train hissed to a stop by the platform, and the doors slid open milling a wall of passengers off and back on. Somehow, he kept track of that blonde hair through the thick crowd of busy people in front of the door nearby. Some sort of urge took over his whole body and he found himself physically drawn to her. His feet carried him forward and he moved through the crowd towards the train doors. He reached his arm out and he wasn't even sure he'd gripped onto the right wrist until her head turned. She turned and her eyes fell to her left wrist. He pulled gently and she fell back through the crowd, against the force of the commuters surging forwards to get onto the train. He gently pulled until she was out of the crowd and he led them back towards the turnstiles. When they reached a concrete wall slightly out of the way he loosened his grip on the girl's wrist and she slipped out of his hand.

'What d'you think you're doing…?' She asked indignantly before looking back over her shoulder at the shutting subway doors. 'I've missed my train now!'  
>He blinked for a moment, as if realising what he'd done. 'Trust me; you don't wanna take that train.' He said calmly.<br>'What…?' She said with a hint of irritation in her voice, the book hanging loosely at her side.  
>'You don't wanna be on that subway.' He repeated.<br>'What? Why…?'  
>'I've just got this feeling.' He said keeping his voice low. 'I think something's gonna happen on that train. Something bad.'<br>'Oh I get it…' She chuckled slightly and reached down into her brown satchel slung on her shoulder and pulled out a small purse. She lifted the flap and pulled out a dollar bill holding it out to him. 'Here take it…'  
>He looked at her fingers holding out the thin green paper and back to her with an air of confusion. 'I don't….?'<br>'You're one of those prophet guys, right? That hang out on the street…? You just spout things off to strangers to get money, and no one ever _really_ knows if you really have a gift or if you're just bullshitting for money. So here, here's your dollar, take it…'  
>He looked down at his dark charcoal suit and back to her. 'No, no I'm not one of those guys. D'you think I'd really be dressed like this if I was one of those homeless guys…?'<br>'It could just be a clever marketing ploy.' She shrugged looking his clothes up and down. He had a good point, but she wasn't gonna admit it to this, stranger.  
>He shook his head. 'I'm not some weirdo, I promise, please, all I know is that we need to get out of here.'<br>'So I'm supposed to trust the hunch of some stranger now? That may or may not be right…?'  
>He could see her mind begin to race, jumping to the wrong conclusions. He reached out his hand again. 'I'm Sam…' He said with a smile.<br>'So the stranger has a name.' She shook his hand. 'Doesn't make you any less of a stranger.'

As their hands were connected for that mere moment, and almighty rumble came bellowing out of the tunnel to their right. He let go of her hand and rushed to the corner of the empty platform and saw midnight black smoke rushing in their direction. The whole front of the tunnel was crumbling fast, debris cascading from the ceiling above the platform. He ran back around the corner, his shoes sliding against the smooth floor and grabbed her wrist pulling her towards the turnstiles without stopping.  
>'Now do you believe me?' He yelled over the loud booms of the continually falling debris and the ghostly moans echoing from the tunnel. They ran through the turnstiles and began hurriedly up the stairs. A second earth-shattering boom spilled out from below them, yet this one sounded a lot closer. Her hand slipped out of his and she fell on the stairs and he looked below them. The turnstiles, ticket and telephone booths where they had just been standing seconds before had been turned into an inferno. He looked over to her hunched on the stairs and dropped to his knees. As the flames licked up the walls metres below them, he tugged off his suit jacket and handed it to her, pushing it towards her face illuminated by the shadows of the flames.<br>'Put this over your nose and mouth, it'll help you breathe.' He told her, yelling slightly. She didn't say anything, but nodded smiling in recognition, her blue eyes weakly sparkling. She half-covered her face and he grabbed her right forearm and pulled her up, jogging her up the rest of the concrete steps as she limped behind him.

They reached the street air and a loud bang made them both jump and look back down into the black hole below them. Part of the roof had fallen through onto the stairs and she dropped Sam's jacket away from her face. She looked around her and a small crowd of people had formed, staring down into where they'd just emerged from, covered in sweat and dirty marks like some sort of creatures from the deep. A coloured woman stepped forward, looking down at her legs. The woman gasped slightly, pointing at her right leg. 'Honey, look at your leg!' She looked down and whimpered as she saw a deep trail of blood running down from just below her right knee into her perfectly white socks.  
>He followed her trail of sight and saw her injury. 'Let's get you to the emergency room...'<br>He wrapped his left arm around the back of her shoulders directing her through the crowd and helping her walk towards the road.  
>'I can take care of myself…'<br>He slightly squeezed her left shoulder to comfort her. 'Let's just get you to a hospital.'


	2. Chapter 2

_**2. Wherever You Will Go**_

He hailed them both a cab, more easily than he was expecting. He ushered her in before himself.  
>'Mount Sinai please. Step on, it's kinda an emergency.'<br>'It's not really an emergency…' She said bashfully.  
>'You're bleeding…it's kinda important!' He looked down and the trail blood showed no signs of stopping. 'Not queasy are you?' He asked taking off his Royal Blue tie.<br>She shook her head. 'Thankfully, no.' She replied with a smile.  
>He looked down holding his tie between his fists. 'May I…?'<br>'Don't ruin your tie!' She squealed.  
>He shook his head before applying his tie to her wound. 'I'm no paramedic,' He replied wrapping the ends around the top of her calf. 'But I know when it comes to wounds, pressure needs to be applied.' He tied a bow back around the front, over the wrapped wound. 'There.' He smiled, admiring his handiwork. 'A little present to the docs in the emergency room.' She smiled at him and his eyes shifted to her hands rested in her lap. He noticed the large red mark on her left wrist. 'Oh god, I'm sorry I think you're gonna have a bruise…'<br>She smiled down at it and to him. 'You just saved my life. I think we're even.'  
>He chuckled. 'D'you still think I'm one of those homeless prophet guys from the streets?'<br>She laughed at herself and shook her head, looking down in embarrassment. 'No, not quite. Sorry about that…'  
>He held up his hands smiling. 'Hey nothin' to be sorry about. I realise it would be a little strange for a stranger to grab you and want to take you away.'<br>She laughed, a little tinkling laugh. 'Now you just make it sound creepy.'  
>The cab screeched to a halt. 'Mount Sinai.' The cab driver mumbled.<br>The girl moved to reach into her satchel but Sam shook his hand at her. He reached forward and dropped some dollar bills through the gap in the Perspex window and helped her hobble out of the cab. As she stepped forward away from the cab he noticed she was limping badly. He dipped his shoulders towards her. 'Put your arm around me.'  
>'No, honestly it's fine…' She declined shuffling forwards, barely being able to stand on her right leg.<br>'Come here, you can hardly walk.' He dipped his shoulders towards her again. Still she refused his help, and limped like a little injured deer, into the entrance of the Mount Sinai Emergency Room.

When they stepped in the Emergency Room it was bustling with the injured and doctors rushing around in the background with victims laid out on gurneys. Cries of victims and their family members echoed around the room while they were harmonised with the sound of the phones continually ringing behind the large front desk. The line for admitting was growing longer by the second, the seating area filling even faster.  
>'I can check myself in. You can go now.' She said a little more bluntly than she intended.<br>'It's okay, I can stay.'  
>'No really, you must have a job you need to get to…?'<br>'Honestly,' He smiled softly. 'It's _fine_. I wanna make sure you're okay. I'd feel guilty leaving you now.'  
>'You've already helped me enough as it is. I'd feel guilty making you stay.'<br>'Well,' He smiled again. 'You're not making me stay; I'm staying because I want to. So you don't have to feel guilty.' He gave the boyish grin that he'd always been able to charm his way with. 'Come on, let's check you in.'  
>She gave in reluctantly. 'You're good with the persuasion thing.' She laughed. 'You go get us some seats; I think I can handle checking myself in.'<br>When she returned a few minutes later, he had a few chairs around them, and he'd pulled an extra one over in front of her chair.  
>'I heard if you have a leg or foot injury you're sposed to keep it higher than hip height to help circulation or something.' He told her gesturing to the extra chair.<br>She sat down stretching her right leg over the chair. 'Are you sure you're not a doctor…?'  
>He shook his head with a smile. 'Just a geeky kid. I watch too many medical shows.'<br>'That's obvious.' She chuckled.

Their attention was pulled away from each other when one of the nurses behind the main desk switched on the television set descended from the ceiling. It flashed red at first, and then the words _Breaking News_ illuminated in white ran along the bottom of the screen. The news anchor flashed up on screen looking grave in his official suit.  
>'A deadly sequence of events has been unfolding in Grand Central Station Subway Station this morning. Reports say a suspicious package was placed within one of the subway trains as it left Grand Central Station Subway Station, authorities currently believe it was heading towards the Lexington Avenue Subway Station, on Line 4. During the transition between stations, the package exploded in the interconnecting tunnel on board the train. Casualties have been admitted to various hospitals in the area. The current death toll stands at 60, and the number of injured currently stands at 110, although these numbers are expected to rise. The Emergency Services and Rescue Workers are currently working to find survivors and more casualties. There was also a second explosion at the street exit to the Grand Central Station Subway Station but victims of the second explosion are yet unconfirmed. The perpetrators of these attacks are currently unknown.'<br>Sam leaned into her ear. 'Well we have one casualty right here thanks to that.' He said pointing down at her leg. He winced slightly looking at his tie soaked in her blood. 'Does it hurt…?' When she didn't reply he looked up at her face and tears had already begun to fall, but her eyes were fixed on the crushing images printed on the screen in front of them. He reached out and brushed his fingers over her left forearm and she flinched at the contact, forgetting where she was.  
>'Hey…' He soothed. 'You okay…?' She sniffed trying to wipe her nose with the back of her hand. She nodded slightly. 'I'd give you my tie to wipe your face…' He smiled looking down. 'But you kinda got blood on it.'<br>She tried to smile, sniffing. 'Sorry.'  
>He nudged her with his elbow. 'It's okay.'<br>They both looked down at her leg. 'Does it hurt…?' He asked.  
>'Kinda. Now the adrenaline is wearing off.'<br>'Hopefully they'll get to you quick, we don't want you losing any more blood – you'll hardly have any left in you!'  
>She looked back up to the screen full of destruction. 'I can't believe that coulda been us…'<br>He brushed her arm again, trying to prevent her becoming any more upset. 'But you gotta remember its not. We're both still here. You're alive.' He shrugged slightly. 'A little worse for wear, but alive.'  
>'I'm sorry I was rude to you before. You were just trying to help me.'<br>He smiled. 'Don't mention it.' He cocked his head looking at her. 'You look tired, why don't you get some rest? It'll probably be a while before we get seen with all these people here.' She looked at him wearily and he chuckled. 'Don't worry I'll wake you when someone calls us.' He took his suit jacket out from underneath her right palm and rested it on his right shoulder. 'Here, just rest…' He smiled warmly at her and she felt her head falling to his oddly comfortable shoulder.

He watched her round hazel eyes close, and it wasn't long before she was softly snoring, taking deep breaths in and out. He watched as she curled slightly into him and he lightly slipped his right arm around her shoulder, he almost felt protective over this relative stranger. He didn't even know her name. He didn't know anything about her, and yet he still felt…drawn, to her. Maybe that's why he felt drawn to her, because he didn't know anything about her. He looked down into her lap and she still had that ratty lime green book with her. He could see the book was so old the front cover was nearly falling off and the illustration was all cracked. The pages inside were brown with age and some were torn or curled at weird angles. This time he could read that the book in question was _Alice in Wonderland_ by Lewis Carroll. He smiled to himself, as he figured out a little more about her.

He watched people come and go while they sat there in silence. Some people hugging each other tightly, relief clear on their faces. Some holding each other, looking stricken with grief and in need of consoling. He looked down at her again, her mouth curled slightly at one side, almost as if she were smiling at him watching people as they milled about in front of them. Smiling at their front row seats to a brand new episode of their very own medical show. His thumb unconsciously traced little circles over the skin on her right bicep as she stirred in her slumber. A tall man with short white hair and a short white beard dressed in light blue scrubs approached them together.  
>Noticing that the girl was still asleep he spoke softly. 'We can look at her now…'<br>Sam nodded and smiled warmly. 'Thank you.' He replied quietly, careful not to wake her. He scooped her up, his right arm still wrapped around her shoulders and his left supporting underneath her knees. Her head lulled to the side and rested against his chest.


	3. Chapter 3

_**3. Love This Pain**_

Sam followed the doctor through a set of double doors into a ward. He gently moved her down onto the bed as the doctor pulled around the blue and yellow curtain with a light rattle. The doctor pulled a pair of white latex gloves from a box on top of a cabinet in the corner. 'Okay,' He smiled. 'What do we have here…?'  
>'We were down at the Grand Central Subway Station waiting for the subway and…'<br>'Oh…' He nodded, looking at the wound on her leg with a frown. 'Is this from the accident…?'  
>'I pulled her off the platform and we were halfway up the stairs when the second blast happened and she slipped and cut her leg.'<br>'Hmm…' He slipped his wire-rimmed glasses further up his nose. 'Yes it is quite deep isn't it…' He pulled the black office chair out from underneath the desk sitting down and moving himself closer to the girl on the bed. 'And what is your wife's name, Mr…?'  
>Sam reached out to shake his hand. 'Sam Evans. And she's not my w…' The doctor gave him a quizzical look. 'We just met this morning…' Still the doctor just looked at him. He turned and picked a needle off the medical tray beside him with a small jar filled with a clear liquid. He turned his attention to the small jar, and turned it upside down, using the needle to partially drain it.<br>'Well Mr Evans, does this relative…stranger, have a name?'  
>Sam looked at the still sleeping girl and saw she still held the book. 'Deer…' He finally said under his breath.<br>The doctor smiled at the peculiar name. 'Deer…?'  
>'Alice Deer.' He replied turning back to the doctor. 'Her name is Alice Deer.'<br>The doctor gave a satisfied nod. 'Alice Deer…' He moved on the chair between Sam and the bed. He lightly pressed a hand to her right shoulder, trying to wake her. 'Alice…Alice…wake up…' He cooed softly. Sam almost held his breath, hoping she'd respond to 'Alice', since the chance of her name _actually_ being Alice was pretty slim indeed. After further pressing from the doctor she finally began to come round from her dreams and those heavy creamy lids lifted to reveal those hazel eyes once more.  
>The doctor smiled at her. 'Welcome back Alice.' Understandably confused, she looked up to see Sam nodding encouragingly at her with a slight smile. 'Can you tell me where you are…?'<br>She replied stuttering. 'Uh…'  
>He pointed to Sam. 'Can you tell me who this is…?'<br>She looked up with sleepy hooded eyes. She finally smiled at him and replied. 'Sam…'  
>Sam smiled back at her and looked at the doctor. 'She didn't hit her head.'<br>The doctor nodded looking up at Sam. 'With all accident patients, particularly if they are partially conscious we have to ask them questions, assess their awareness. We need to assess the patient's risks of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as soon as possible.' He turned back to the girl. 'Can you tell me where you were this morning Alice…?'  
>'I was getting the train…' She slurred slightly, still in her dream-like state.<br>'Which train station were you at…?'  
>'Grand Central, I think…' Sam gave her an encouraging nod. The doctor also seemed satisfied with her answers.<br>'Okay, Alice, I'm going to fix that wound up on your leg okay…?' She nodded permission and he gently reached forward and peeled the now deep crimson tie off from around her leg and she gasped with the pain. The wound was deep and about two inches across just below her knee. The doctor frowned thinking. He looked from the gaping wound back to her. 'You're going to need about 25 stitches.' She shifted herself further up the pillows on the bed reaching out her hand to Sam.  
>'It's okay,' The doctor tried to soothe. 'I'm gonna give you some painkillers so it'll help you while I stitch you up.' He smiled warmly.<br>She latched on hard to Sam when he took her hand. 'Not a fan of needles…?' He asked with a sympathetic smile.  
>She looked down at it in the doctor's hand with fear. 'Now I'm going to inject this just below your knee. It's going to numb the area, so you shouldn't be able to feel me stitching your leg back up. It may bleed a little more at first, but that's just until the painkillers settle in.'<br>'If it bleeds any more your leg will fall off!' Sam laughed clutching her hand.  
>She smiled through gritted teeth. 'You're not really helping…'<br>'Sorry, sorry.' He gripped her hand between his palms.  
>'Okay, take a deep breath for me Alice…'<br>Her eyes clamped shut and her hand released a vice like grip over Sam's hand. More blood trickled down her leg and the doctor had some blue tissue ready to catch the extra blood. Wiping up her leg, he dropped the tissues in the yellow medical bin behind him. 'Okay, that part's done now Alice. Now I'm going to stitch you back up.'  
>She slowly opened her eyes and nodded with a smile of gratitude to the doctor. Sam watched in amazement as the doctor seamlessly threaded the girl's pieces of skin together so elegantly. The doctor smiled knowing Sam was watching. Without looking up he responded. 'It's not half as amazing if you do it a couple times a week.' He looked away smiling bashfully.<br>'It doesn't feel amazing!' She squealed through gritted teeth.  
>'You can feel it…?' Sam asked, looking worried between her and the doctor.<br>The doctor nodded, trying not to panic Sam. 'She'll be able to feel it a bit. It'll be mostly numbed, but you can normally feel some tug and pull.'  
>If she was gripping his hand this tight, he was dreading the day childbirth rolled around.<p>

The doctor finished up with her stitches and put a protective pad over the top. Sam helped her to stand.  
>'That shot of painkillers I gave you was pretty strong, but it will wear off in a few hours, so you may wanna take some just before you sleep cause that's going to be a little sore for the next few days.' He smiled at Sam. 'Take care of this little soldier.'<br>She was a little giddy from the strength of the painkillers, swaying back and forth hanging off Sam's shoulder. 'He's the soldier!' She laughed. 'He pulled me out. Just like that! Just grabbed me, saved my life this guy…!'  
>The doctor laughed looking at them both. 'I think she's gonna be just fine.' As they turned to leave and the doctor pulled back the curtain from around them. He tapped Sam's right forearm. 'Well done, Mr Evans. We need more like you out there.' He smiled.<br>Sam shrugged in return and smiled. 'It's nothing, really.'  
>They thanked the doctor, the girl slurring slightly. He helped her limp out of the ward and out of the Emergency Room doors back out onto the sidewalk.<p>

'Okay, now you're all fixed up…' He began, but she interrupted.  
>'Let's go for a walk!'<br>'A walk…?' He asked looking down at her leg, a little concerned.  
>She gave an exaggerated nod and a wide smile. 'Well, now I'm 'all fixed up', I can walk again!' She threw her hands up in the air, almost in declaration. 'Plus I don't wanna go home yet…'<br>'Okay…' He agreed hesitantly. 'Where d'you wanna walk to…?'  
>'Only the greatest place in New York City!' She exclaimed as if it were a stupid question. Instead of questioning her, he simply decided to follow her as she started to walk; she obviously wasn't too giddy to know where she was going.<p>

They'd been walking for around 10 minutes, when they game to an open black iron gate, with Central Park beyond it. He smiled to himself. 'See…' She threw her arms up in triumph. 'Is this not, the greatest place in New York City?'  
>He looked around them as they walked down the main path facing the water. 'It's hard to beat.' He agreed.<br>She walked just ahead of him, directing them to one of the painted black wooden benches. She sat down and hit the free spot on the bench next to her. Without spoken instruction, he took a seat next to her and stretched his legs out.  
>'Oh, sorry here…' She handed him back his jacket and he slid it back on.<br>'Thanks.'  
>She folded one ankle over the other. 'Okay, let's play a game…'<br>'A game…?' He looked a little uneasy.  
>'Not like Saw! Just a game…'<br>He nodded slightly. 'Okay, what kinda game…?'  
>She turned slightly, not quite being able to bring her leg up on the bench because of her knee, and because well, she was in a dress after all. She folded her left leg beneath her so her right leg was still hanging down, and angled her body towards his. She moved her hands telling him to mimic her actions. He shifted himself around, so they were mirroring each other. He watched her slip the ratty book back into her brown satchel hanging down by her right leg. Almost as if she'd forgotten something she closed her eyes and tapped her left forefinger to her forehead and opened her eyes, searching in her satchel. She flashed a set of pearly white, perfectly straight teeth as she brought out a semi-professional looking black Lumix camera. Before he could ask what she was doing with it, she raised it to her eye and pressed the shutter with a click. The flash caused him to raise his left hand to shield his face, a little too late.<br>'Stop paparazzi!' He smiled.  
>She lowered the camera and looked at the photo on the digital screen and chuckled. 'It's a good one.'<br>'Can I see it…?'  
>She held the camera close to her chest and raised an eyebrow at him. 'A lady never reveals her photography.' She responded playfully. She plopped the camera back into her bag. 'Now, this game…' He adjusted his position for comfort and nodded. She looked down at his left hand in his lap. 'You're not married…girlfriend…?'<br>He nodded with a smile. 'Well done Sherlock.'  
>'Younger…?'<br>He shook his head. 'Nope, older. Two years.'  
>'Cougar!' She chuckled surprised. 'How long you guys been together…?'<br>'Three years. We hooked up when she was bummed about turning the big 3-0. One thing led to another and here we are, three years later.'  
>'If you met when she was 30…and she's two years older…' She pondered aloud. 'That makes her…33, and you…'<br>He shook his head smiling. 'She was 29 when we met, she's 32 now. I'm 30.'  
>She nodded smiling. 'Hit that '30 wall'?'<br>He laughed. 'Surprisingly not! I think that happens more with chicks than us guys. What about you…? What's your deal…?'  
>She raised her chin slightly. 'Guess.'<br>'Okay then…' His eyes slid over her hands. 'No ring…relationship?'  
>She smiled. 'Nope. 'Single and ready to mingle'!' She laughed at herself. He looked at her with almost a look of surprise. 'Is that so shocking…?'<br>He smiled and shrugged. 'A little I guess.' He looked down at her brown satchel. 'You're carrying a satchel, with a book and camera so I'm gonna go with…college student…?'  
>She gasped feigning horror. 'How old do you think I am…?'<br>He shrugged smiling. 'Uh…21…?'  
>She threw her head back and laughed a throaty giggle that spilled out of her throat, her mouth open wide. Her blonde lightly curled hair spilled down her back and shook with her laughter.<br>When he could see her face again he tried again. '22…?'  
>She shook her head.<br>'23…?'  
>She sighed playfully and shook her head again.<br>'24…?'  
>She slightly twitched; he sensed he was getting nearer.<br>'2…5…?'  
>She nodded affirmatively, he laughed out loud.<br>'There's no way you're 25!' He held his stomach as he laughed.  
>She wished she had a pillow or something to hit him with. 'Come on…since I'm not a student…what's my job…?'<br>He tried to find clues from her clothing. She wasn't in particularly fashionable clothes, so he ruled that out. She didn't appear to have glasses so he guessed she wasn't in a literary field…although with that book… She held her hands out as she watched him try and figure it out.  
>'I give in!' He finally stated with an exasperated sigh. 'What do you do?'<br>'I'm an actress.' She stated simply smiling. 'I'm currently an understudy, in the Broadway production of…' She reached down into her bag.  
>'<em>Alice in Wonderland<em>…' He finished off her sentence watching her pull the book out of her bag.  
>She nodded in response. 'I've had this copy since I was born; it's always been my favourite book. That's why it's so torn up.' She laughed thumbing through it. 'As soon as I heard it was coming up for audition, I knew it was fate that I should go try out for it.'<br>'And I'm guessing you're the understudy for Alice, not any of the creatures…?'  
>She chuckled. 'Yes for Alice. She's my dream character.'<br>'When's it on?'  
>She waved her hand 'Oh not for a while yet, I'm just going through the book for character preparation, y'know if anything happened to the lead actress…'<br>He leaned in keeping his voice low. 'You're secretly hoping the understudy will get to step in aren't you…?'  
>She gasped laughing. 'No! The real Alice is a great actress!'<br>He laughed. 'Not even a little, tiny bit…?'  
>She leaned in, a small smile creeping over her lips. She brought an index finger to her peach pink lips. 'Shh…'<br>He laughed as they both sat back.  
>'So what about you, huh…? What d'you do…?'<br>He smiled. 'Guess.'  
>'Oh I can't guess! You've seen my maths skills – I definitely can't guess!'<br>'Just one guess, go on…'  
>She looked down over his now dirty suit. 'I don't know….You're a….' She hummed lightly and turned her head to the side thinking. 'You're a lawyer…?'<br>He smiled and paused slightly, causing her to look at him expectantly with a held breath. 'No.' He smiled and she instantly deflated. 'But close! I'm a Translator and International Negotiator.  
>'<em>How<em> is that 'close' to being a lawyer…?'  
>'Sometimes I have to deal with the law.'<br>She perked up. 'So do you deal with like, _criminals_ and stuff…?'  
>He smiled. 'I can't tell you that.'<br>She fluttered her lashes and stuck out her bottom lip. 'Please…?'  
>He laughed at her attempted cuteness and held up both hands. 'I can't! Powers that be and all that…'<br>She rolled her eyes. 'Yeah…' She adjusted herself. 'So what's the deal with you and this girlfriend of yours…?'  
>'Her name is Romy…and what 'deal'…?'<br>She playfully slapped his arm. 'When you gonna put a ring on it bro?'  
>'When did you get so black?'<br>'Do I sense avoidance…? You don't want to marry her do you…'  
>He laughed. 'Of course I want to marry her.'<br>'Then why haven't you 'done the deed' yet?'  
>'I'm just waiting for the right time is all.'<br>She chuckled. 'Newsflash buddy: there is no right time.'  
>'Sure there is!'<br>'Chances are, you're gonna spend so long waiting and looking for it that it'll pass you by and won't even realise it. Hell, it may have already happened…'  
>His face dropped slightly. 'How d'you mean…?'<br>'Well, why d'you want to marry Romy?' She asked bluntly.  
>He felt caught a little off-guard. 'Uh…' He looked down at his feet thinking.<br>She clicked her fingers. 'Moment's over!'  
>'No!' He exclaimed, head jutting back up. 'Well I uh, I want to marry her because I love her!' He said quickly.<br>She shook her head thinking. 'Not enough.'  
>'What? Of course it is!'<br>She clicked her fingers three or four times thinking. 'No…you need more. You need _urgency_…as if living without her would _kill you_…'  
>He raised his eyebrows. 'Okay now I can see you're an actress…'<br>'And you're avoiding again…' She sighed.  
>'Okay, okay!' He stopped her in her tracks pushing out his hands. 'I love her because…I can't imagine waking up without her. I can't imagine going to sleep without her. When she laughs, my heart does a…' He moved his hand over his heart and mimicked a fluttering motion. 'When she comes in from work, when she's had a hard day and we talk about it together I rub her feet…<em>her feet<em>…I don't even like feet! We play together. She's so silly, but so…_wise_. She'd be a great mother. She's funny, and sweet and charming and _so_ intelligent. She's self-deprecating but not attention-seeking about it; she never takes herself too seriously…' He had drifted off, half-dreaming. The girl yawned. 'Oh I'm sorry, am I boring you?' He asked sarcastically.  
>'You're being very sweet…but also <em>so <em>cliche.' She rolled her eyes for emphasis. 'This is a marriage proposal, not one of those cheesy romcoms…'  
>'But I want it to be perfect when I decide to ask her.'<br>'Tell her she's like peanut butter.'  
>'Wh…what…?'<br>'Trust me. Tell her she's like peanut butter. She likes peanut butter, right?'  
>'Uh…yeah…?'<br>'Who doesn't!' She laughed. 'Tell her she's peanut butter. And you're jelly. You go together.'  
>'That has got to be the <em>worst<em> thing I have ever heard…' He laughed after a pause. 'I want to spend the rest of my life with her, not take her out to lunch!'  
>'You'll be able to take her to lunch for the rest of your lives if she says yes.' She reasoned. 'Trust me. Tell her she's peanut butter.'<br>'Would you want someone to tell you 'you're peanut butter'?' He asked skeptically.  
>She went quiet at the question. She looked down at her hands in her lap. After a long and delayed pause, he almost took back the question when she responded. 'I told her.' She swallowed hard, still not looking up. 'We were peanut butter and jelly. We were at NYU together and we thought it was going to last forever, as you always do when you really feel, <em>it<em>…y'know?' She asked, finally looking up at him. Her hazel eyes had clouded over with a creeping sadness. 'She changed everything for me. She opened my eyes to everything, and changed me.'  
>'What happened…?' He asked carefully and quietly.<br>'We just…grew apart, y'know? I s'pose, that's what hurt the most. We just…'  
>'…Fell out of love…' He finished her sentence.<br>She nodded. 'Yeah.' She replied quietly. 'We grew up, and grew apart. We were gonna have the whole thing. The 'life', y'know?' She looked at him again and he nodded in understanding. She smiled at the memory. 'I remember…' She chuckled. 'I remember the last time I saw her. She was stunning…I bet she still is. One of the last things I said to her was...'

She could see her in the back of her mind, burning into her eyes as if she were sitting right where Sam was. In those_ incredible_ ass-hugging blue denim cut-offs and that white vest that pulled tight across her chest. Not to mention that pillar-box red pout. She felt her pulse start to quicken as she heard that light California accent and the rasp of her giggle.  
>Sam watched her clouded eyes turn darker. 'Was…?' He interrupted her day dream. She was brought back to reality by that word cutting through her and it felt as if a rock had just hit her chest.<br>'Was…' She thought, feeling positively breathless. '…I said…'

She saw them sitting on the couch together, the white Papa John's cardboard pizza box sitting between them. Her girl babbled about the latest assignment they'd been given between munches of a slice of pizza. Sam saw a smile return to her lips. She liked calling her 'her girl'. Her hair was still damp from the shower, her devilishly dark brown hair tied up at the top of her head in a messy bun. She cast her eyes over her content, munching girlfriend – even wearing sweats there was something stylish about her. She had that irritatingly perfect California olive sheen to her skin all the time – even when she slept. Her girl tugged at the thick crust with her canines, eventually managing to tear it apart. She couldn't understand how even while tearing apart a slice of pizza her siren girlfriend could look so perfect. While she was still babbling, she sat back against the arm on her side of the couch, just watching her, smiling. When her siren noticed she had stopped 'mmm'-ing in return she took a double-take looking back at her inquisitively.  
>'What you looking at me like that for…?' The siren asked hesitantly.<br>She smiled peacefully, drinking her in. 'You're peanut butter.' She finally responded dreamily.  
>She tilted her head, utterly confused. 'Uh…'<br>'How do I put this…' She chuckled lightly, thinking. '…You're peanut butter. You're nutty…most of the time, or _smooth_…' She kinked that dark irresistible eyebrow. '…You're amazing as you are, but I'm your jelly. Together…we just go together. _We're perfect_. I mean look at us!' She laughed looking down at her purple and white NYU Violets tee. 'We're eating pizza in our sweats!'

'What was her name…?' He brought her back to earth again.  
>'Rachel Berry…' She smiled after a pause.<br>'Her name was Rachel Berry…?' He tried his hardest to stifle a laugh.  
>'…And no she isn't a porn star!' She laughed lightly.<br>He held his hands up. 'I never said she was!'  
>She chuckled. 'A lot of people ask her that. Well, I don't blame her with a name like hers.'<br>'Where is she now…?'  
>She shrugged. 'She moved back to L.A. after college. I can only imagine she's still there, chasing her dreams.'<br>'Her dreams?'  
>'She's destined for the high life. We both knew that. I just always figured we'd be together when it happened.' She shrugged looking down at her fingers again.<br>He thought for a pause. 'I'll tell you what…' He spoke slowly. 'I'll tell Romy she's 'peanut butter',' He laughed lightly. '…If you go to L.A. and get your girl…'  
>She raised her head and looked at him. When she realised he was serious she burst into a fit of giggles. When he gave her a curious look she finally replied. 'You're crazy!' She panted breathlessly. When she looked down once more his heart sank a little.<br>'You love her don't you?' His words cut through her reality.  
>Her eyes eventually met his. 'Always.'<br>'Then _go get her_.'  
>'You're still crazy.' She shook her head dismissively.<br>'You're still in love with her.'  
>'What if she's moved on…?' Her voice quivered.<br>'What if she hasn't?' He answered simply, bluntly.  
>He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a black pen and a small piece of card. He quickly jotted something down and slid it over to her. 'My cell. I want you to keep up your end of the bargain.'<br>She held the thin piece of card between her fingertips and stared down at it. 'And how do I know you'll keep up your end…?'  
>'Call me and find out.' He smiled.<br>She flipped the card over between her fingertips and smiled looking at him. 'How do I know this isn't just a ploy from you to get my number…?'  
>He responded simply. 'Have I ever asked for it…?'<br>A little embarrassed by her question she looked down into her lap. He smiled at her shame. 'Anyway, I just want to see the best for you. You seem like you really deserve it.'  
>'You only met me this morning.'<br>'Exactly. We only met a few hours ago and I already know that you deserve this. You deserve the girl with the porn star name.' She laughed, but this time he could see those little pearl white slabs usually concealed by those lips. He realised his words were actually getting into her somewhere, somehow.  
>'Romy would be a fool to say no.' She smiled.<br>'I kinda hope she won't!' He chuckled.  
>She slipped his card into her cardigan pocket and swung her leg around so her body shifted and rose to her feet. She swivelled around and held out her hand to him. 'You have a proposal to get to.'<br>He smiled and took her hand pulling himself up off the bench. 'And you have to go get your girl.'  
>They walked side by side on the winding path until they stepped out of the gate exiting Central Park, and back out onto the sidewalk. She walked slightly in front of him, hailing herself a cab. As the black tyres screeched to a halt on the road beside them, he reached forward and pulled the door open for her. As she turned to step into the cab, she turned back to him.<br>'Why did the doctor keep calling me 'Alice'…?'  
>He smiled before answering. 'He asked for your name, and well…I don't know it. I saw that book in your hand and I said the first name that came into my head. Alice.'<br>She nodded and smiled. 'It's a good name.'  
>He smiled. 'Thanks, I came up with it myself.'<br>She chuckled. 'Actually, Lewis Carroll came up with it.'  
>He shrugged and chuckled to himself. 'Same difference.' He gripped the top of the wide open door with his left hand.<br>She dug into her bag and checked her phone. 'It's getting late; you should be getting back to Romy.'  
>He smiled. 'Yeah, that's a good idea. She may wonder where I've been all this time…'<br>'Especially if she knew you've spent the day with _a beautiful stranger_…' She exaggerated laughing.  
>He smiled. 'What should I tell her?'<br>She smiled and dug her hands in her cardigan pockets. 'You tell her…' She paused, thinking a second. 'You tell her, you and a stranger just happened to…'  
>They smiled at each other. '…Collide...' They said in unison.<br>'So may I ask what your name is, anyway?'  
>'My name is Quinn. Quinn Fabray.'<br>He extended his right hand. 'Nice to meet you, Miss Fabray.'  
>She shook his hand. 'You too, Mr Evans.'<p>

And with that, she finally took a seat alone in the cab and disappeared into the failing light.


	4. Chapter 4

_**4. Wreck of the Day **_

He slid his gold key into the lock and turned, clicking the door open. Generic pre-recorded laughter drifted toward him down the hall as he stepped in the door. He slipped off his black leather shoes and followed the laughter into the lounge.

There he found his girlfriend stretched out asleep on the moss green couch as a re-run of Friends played to itself. He approached her silently, his socks sliding against the wood floor before he leaned in and placed a soft kiss atop her auburn hair. Her head slightly shifted as she hummed quietly before she opened her hazel eyes slowly and looked up at him. He placed another kiss onto her lips lightly before it dawned on her that he had been missing. He gently shifted her bare feet so he could sit down on the couch and placed her feet into his lap so she could still stretch out. He rubbed the pad of his thumb against the balls of her left foot. She cast her eyes over his shirt stained in black greasy marks.  
>'Where have you been…?' She raised an eyebrow.<br>'I was down at Grand Central when that bomb on the subway went off…' Her face immediately fell and he saw the worry cloud her pale face and tears began to fill the bottom of her wide eyes. He smiled and reached forward, wrapping his arms around her ribs, shifting her into his lap. Her head fell into the crook of his neck. He rubbed her back with one hand.  
>'I'm okay, I'm here, don't worry…'<br>'W-were you on the subway…?' She asked reluctantly.  
>He shook his head. 'No. I was waiting for it but I knew something wasn't right. Just an intuition thing, y'know?' She nodded against his chest. She lifted her head away and looked up at him.<br>'Why are you so dirty…?' She shifted herself away from him slightly.  
>'I saved a woman today…'<br>She removed herself from his lap. 'So that's where you've been? You've been with a woman all day…?' She shifted her whole body away from him and stiffened up, bringing her knees up to her face.  
>He tried to reach out to her. 'I saved her life. I just had to do it…'<br>She stood up away from him. 'Please tell me she's a co-worker…' She said without looking at him. When he didn't respond, she brought her eyes up to him sitting on the couch. 'Sam…' She spoke weakly, almost pleading for an answer. He just simply shook his head. 'And I'm supposed to be okay with you spending the whole day with some, _random woman_?'  
>He looked up to her again. 'Her name was Quinn. Is Quinn.' He corrected himself.<br>'Do I look like I care what her name is?' She exclaimed.  
>'I saved her life.' He spoke gently.<br>'And you just _had_ to spend the whole day with her…' She scoffed to herself rubbing her forehead with her left palm.  
>'I had to take her to the Emergency Room.' He tried to reason with her. 'She needed stitches in her leg…'<br>'And she couldn't go by herself?'  
>'She was bleeding a lot. She could hardly walk.'<br>'I'm sure she's a big girl.'  
>'I wanted to make sure she was okay.' He took to his feet and tried to approach her. 'Nothing happened Romy…We just hung out…'<br>'And you talked?'  
>He nodded. 'Of course.'<br>She looked at his shirt. 'Where's your tie…?' He didn't answer. 'She has it doesn't she…?'  
>He sighed loudly, trying to rub away the headache that was forming at the front of his head. 'No, she doesn't.' He replied sharply. 'It's in a trash can in the Emergency Room at Mount Sinai Hospital. Do you wanna go check?'<br>She lowered her voice. '_Don't push me Sam_.'  
>His hand fell back by his side. 'I'm going to bed. It's been a long day, I have a headache.' Before she could reply he left the room and headed across the hall to their bedroom.<br>'Don't even _think_ about sleeping in that bed!' She called after him with a sigh.

She sat uncomfortably in the dark coloured armchair and ran the thin piece of white card between her fingertips. She took her cellphone out of her deep pocket and set it down in her lap and balanced the card on the screen. She reached into her satchel and brought out her camera. With a quiet whirr she switched it on, and she was met with his gently smiling face. His green eyes burned in the dying sunlight that illuminated him. She balanced the camera on her knees, his face still watching her. She picked up her cellphone and punched in the number. She punched in the last digit, pausing as her thumb hovered over the call button.

A dull buzzing sounded from beside the lamp above his head. He drowsily placed his hand behind his head, retrieving his cellphone. He looked across to the mantle, the clock showing _1.30am_.  
>'Hello…' He answered with a sleepy groan.<br>'_What do I say…?_'  
>Confused for a moment, he didn't respond to the mysterious question.<br>'_It's Quinn. I'm sorry, did I-did I wake you…?_ _I'm sorry I didn't realise how late it was._'  
>He sighed, rubbing his eye and propping himself up against the arm of the couch. 'It's okay, it's fine…where are you…?'<br>She chuckled. '_Where d'you think_?'  
>'You're holding up your end of the bargain…' He smiled.<br>'_Are you? Did you…?_'  
>He sighed. 'That's…that's a long story.' He hesitated.<br>'_What's that s'posed to mean…?_'  
>He scratched his head. 'We…' He sighed again. 'We had a fight. I've been relegated to the couch.'<br>She took an audibly sharp intake of breath. '_About what?_'  
>He shook his head. 'It's not important. It's nothing.'<br>'_I-I didn't cause it…did I…?_' She hesitated.  
>'No. No it's nothing.'<br>She cleared her throat. '_I'm sorry Sam._'  
>'You tell her the truth.' He brightened after a pause. 'You tell her everything. You tell her everything that you've thought about her since college. Be honest.'<br>'_Everything?_'  
>He nodded. 'The only way to get to her is to tell her everything. If you tell her everything, you'll get everything back.'<br>He could hear her worried lips curl into a smile. '_Thank you, Sam. For everything_.'  
>He chuckled. 'At least I'm useful for something.'<br>She paused, confused. '_Sam…?_ _What's wrong?_'  
>He brightened up again. 'It's not important.' He replied dismissively. 'Call me back when you see her.'<br>He could hear the announcements in the background. '_I better go; I'm s'posed to be boarding_.'  
>'Go get your girl Quinn.' He smiled.<br>'_I'll let you know_. _Talk to you later_.'

A quiet beep sounded as she hung up the phone.


	5. Chapter 5

_**5. Brighter Than Sunshine**_

'You were helping her…' He heard a soft voice from behind him. He rose into a sitting position and looked at the shadowed figure in the doorway. Rubbing his eyes, just checking he hadn't fallen into dreaming, he saw the figure hadn't moved.

She moved over to sit with him on the couch. The only light in the room was the moonlight casting shadows through the window. She reached up and ran her right hand fingers through his short blonde hair as he hunched forward, his hands gripping the front of the couch.

'I…I'm _sorry_, Sam…' She quietly stuttered apologising.

He turned his head to the left and said nothing but took her lips against his. He turned his torso towards her and ran his right hand through her auburn hair by her jaw as he caressed her lips gently.

She moved her hand up to his shirt and seductively unfastened each button as he slowly took over her. As he eased them both back into the arm of the couch she ran her hand over his bare chest, helping him slip off his shirt. She moved herself slightly on the couch to make herself more comfortable as his mouth administered little nibbles along her jaw line, moving to her neck. She closed her eyes, craning her head back and let the tickling sensation take over her. Through muffled kisses and nips he took a sharp inhale of breath.

'Marry me…' He mumbled just audibly.

In surprise she jolted her head down, her chin colliding with his nose. The bump was enough that he sat up and felt something drip into his hand. He looked down and saw a dark liquid, highlighted by the moonlight streaming in the window. She looked up at him and realised he'd been injured.

She sat bolt upright. 'Oh Sam, I'm sorry!' She gasped realising he was bleeding. 'Oh honey, I'm sorry!'

He chuckled lightly trying to rub at his nose with the back of his left hand. 'It's fine, I'll just fix myself up.'

He stood and Romy followed him into the bathroom. She sat him down on the side of the white tub, and opened the white mirrored bathroom cabinet, retrieving antiseptic cream and cotton pads. As she dabbed at the underside of his right nostril he watched her smiling.

'You still haven't responded…'

She stopped, her wide hazel eyes looking down into his. She cleaned the blood dribbling from his bottom lip.

He smiled at her. 'You're peanut butter…' He stated softly.

She chuckled in confusion. 'I didn't concuss you, did I…?'

'You're peanut butter…' He said again. She kept cleaning his face. He reached up and took her left wrist between his fingers making her stop and look him in the eye again. He took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. '…You're everything I could ever need, Romy. You make my half a whole, you're my future and I see everything I could ever want in those eyes of yours.' Her eyes begun to cloud with tears, and as a single drop fell from her right eye, he caught it with the pad of his left thumb. He smiled at her.

'So, do me a favour will you? Be the peanut butter to my jelly for the rest of our lives. Marry me, Romy Beth Baker…'

She smiled through her clouded eyes. 'I think you mean Romy Beth Evans…' She chuckled.

He rose up from the side of the tub and connected their lips again. 'I love you.'

She smiled into their kiss. 'I love you more.'

'Not…possible…' He replied between kisses.

* * *

><p>She adjusted herself in her seat, trying to get comfortable between exasperated sighs. Some movie she hadn't bothered to learn the name of was playing on the TV set in-built into the head rest directly in front of her, inches from her face. She stretched out her legs, attempting to cross her ankles and lean back into the navy blue seat and get some sleep on the flight between New York and Los Angeles.<p>

As usual, her head was swimming too full of thoughts to possibly sleep. She sighed once again loudly, and decided to plug in her headphones to the armrest so she could watch the movie that most of the other passengers seemed to be engrossed in. She adjusted her position yet again, and tried to settle down to catch up on the events of the movie.

The camera was following a woman from behind walking down an undetermined sidewalk in the middle of the day. It was then that she sat bolt upright, making some of the other passengers around her jump slightly. She'd recognise that back anywhere. She'd recognise that ass and the way the woman walked any day. A chilling sensation trickled down her back. A vice-like grip racked through her whole body as she lurched forward, grabbing the paper vomit bag from the pocket of the seat in front of her. A low churning feeling of sickness swam in the bottom of her stomach as beads of sweat began to form across her forehead and down her neck. The other passengers around her alerted a passing flight attendant.

The attendant bent down beside her. 'Excuse me miss, are you okay…?'

She couldn't respond as she clutched onto her stomach, wishing for the sickness to stop. How embarrassing would it be to vomit in front of all the passengers? They'd only been in the air around an hour. She felt a sharp pain as she felt like her ribs were contracting around her lungs. She scraped at her chest and the attendant found another paper bag and held it up to her face.

'Breath into this paper bag, it'll help you…' The attendant cooed.

She nodded in gratitude, still unable to speak as she grasped the top of the bag between her right thumb and index finger, creating a circular hole. The bag inflated and decreased as every breath expelled from her lungs. She felt a hand rubbing her back in calming motions as the searing pains in her chest and stomach began to slowly subside into dull aches.

She looked up at the screen again she saw the woman's face. She was sitting at a wooden café table, but Quinn couldn't take in the dialogue. She just watched the way her perfect peach pout mouth moved with every word and her heart leapt with every smile that emanated from that small dark face. She had long dark bangs hooding the eyes that she used to swim in. That soft voice dreamily oozed from that mouth and she wanted to rip her headphones out of her ears so she wouldn't have to listen to the torture any more, but something overpowered her to keep listening to the words. She was falling back into her addiction. She was her own personal drug all the way through college, and she felt her begin to seep through her veins once more.

She closed her eyes, and eventually those words from that perfect mouth rocked her to sleep like a baby in a crib.


	6. Chapter 6

_**6. Good Vibrations**_

She sat down next to Puck on the light wooden bleachers which she always found uncomfortable but she felt an obligation to support the college basketball team. Plus, Puck never missed a game and it was her quality time with him since they didn't have any classes together. The team was in a huddle on the gym floor and the bobcat mascot was trying to stir up some support from the crowd. She handed Puck a can as he tapped his purple cap as part of his superstitious ritual. She laughed at him. 'Here, I got you a soda…'  
>He took it from her hand with a smile. 'Thanks Q.'<br>She took her seat back on his right side and he leaned back slightly, revealing another smaller dark featured girl sitting to his left. He cleared his throat as he noticed her eyes subtly moving over to the smaller girl also wearing a purple Violets cap at his side. 'Quinn, this is my girlfriend Rachel…' He said gesturing to her. He turned to the smaller girl. 'Rach, this is my old friend Quinn…'  
>They exchanged pleasantries, and she wondered how long this 'girlfriend' would last since he seemed to change 'girlfriends' every other week.<p>

After the Violets managed to score a few more baskets, half time rolled around and Puck disappeared for a restroom break, leaving the two girls alone for the first time. They still kept a slight distance between themselves, saving Puck his space.  
>'I've been wanting to meet you.' The small dark girl attempted to smile. 'I've heard a lot about you…' She spoke with a soft Californian accent.<br>Quinn pulled her attention away from the cheerleaders bouncing around the court and cast her eyes over to the girl. The girl smiled warmly at her from underneath the cap shading her face, revealing some of the whitest teeth she'd ever seen. An odd sweeping sensation twinged in her lower abdomen. She smiled shyly back at the girl. 'Only the good stuff I hope…'  
>She chuckled. 'Most of it…' Something clicked in the girl's face. 'Hey, I think I've seen you around campus…what's your major…?'<br>'Drama.'  
>'Hey, me too!' She squeaked enthusiastically. 'Well, kinda…' She smiled. 'I do Performing Arts…Who's your professor?'<br>'Knowles…' Quinn sighed.  
>She nodded knowingly and rolled her eyes. 'Ah Knowles, I get him for some classes. He's kinda a douche…'<br>Quinn brightened. 'Yes, totally!' She laughed in agreement. 'I was beginning to think I was the only one who thought that…'  
>She laughed nodding, angling her jaw slightly upwards exposing her neck. 'No you're totally right, he's <em>totally<em> big headed…'  
>'Oh <em>so<em> big headed!' She agreed again.  
>The mysterious girl began to imitate him. '<em>I've been in 40 Shakespeare plays; I think I would know how to direct this character…<em>'  
>Quinn laughed at the likeness as Puck emerged back into the gym. He smiled to himself, pleased that the two girls in his life seemed to be getting on so well.<br>'What you girls giggling about…?' He smiled.  
>She looked up at him. 'We just have more in common than you'd think…'<br>He sat back down between the two of them. 'Well, I'm glad.'

An hour later, the crowd was milling out of the double gym doors between the bleachers. The two girls found themselves walking side by side as Puck got slightly lost in the thick crowd. The back of their hands accidentally bumped together and she felt a second wave of that odd sensation settle, bubbling in her lower abdomen. A piece of the dark girl's hair brushed the side of her own shoulder.  
>'Would you like to maybe get a drink sometime…? It might be nice to have an ally against Knowles…' She asked, barely audible over the din of the crowd around them. She turned her head and the girl was looking up at her expectantly, and she saw the girl's deep chocolate button eyes shadowed by long black curled eyelashes for the first time properly. The girl gave her another toothy smile. Something shivered down Quinn's spine.<br>She cleared her throat. 'Uh yeah, I s'pose that would be good.' She nodded in agreement.  
>The girl smiled. 'Great, Noah will give you my number – I left my cell at home by accident.' She laughed. 'I'm too forgetful!'<br>Quinn smiled along with her. 'Don't worry; I'll get it from him.' She said as they both finally saw Puck standing against a wall through a clearing in the crowd.

* * *

><p>She pulled her small case off the baggage claim with a little heave. She retrieved her iPhone from her pocket and switched it back on. She pulled her case behind her with a rattle out of the exit doors of the airport. She felt a vibration in her palm, looking down at her phone screen it read <strong><em>Sam<em>**.

'Hello…?'  
>'<em>The peanut butter trick works after all<em>.'  
>'You did it?' She squeaked excitedly. 'What did she say?'<br>He laughed. '_She said yes_.'  
>She squealed loudly, gaining odd looks from some of the passengers smoking outside the airport doors. 'So you're not fighting anymore?'<br>He chuckled again. '_Doesn't seem like it, no. We were making up and I just decided to do it_.'  
>She lowered her voice raising an eyebrow. 'Like…<em>making up<em>, making up…?'  
>'<em>Yes, if you must know…we were…making up…<em>'  
>She sighed lightly. 'Good timing.'<br>She could almost hear his smile. '_I thought so!_'  
>'Congratulations, Sam. I'm really happy you've got what you wanted.'<br>'_Thanks Quinn. So what about you? Are you getting what you wanted…?_'  
>'Well I've just landed in LAX. I saw her on the plane…'<br>'_What?_' He squeaked. '_What did you say to her?_'  
>'I couldn't say anything to her; she was on the TV screen in front of me.'<br>'_I didn't know they showed porn on planes now…? I should use air travel more…_'  
>'Hey!'<br>He laughed. '_Sorry, I couldn't resist_.' He cleared his throat with a cough. '_So what's your plan? What's your next step…?_'  
>She deflated slightly. 'I…I don't know…' She stuttered.<br>'_Do you have her address_?'  
>She racked her brains, beginning to panic again. 'No…'<br>He sensed her beginning panic. '_Okay, Quinn relax_.' He said calmly. '_Do you have a number to reach her…?_'  
>'I have her cellphone number, but it's the one from college. She won't still be using it.'<br>'_Try it. She might still be using it_.'  
>She shook her head. 'That was four years ago. She won't still have the same number.'<br>'_I still have the same number from years ago._'  
>His point stopped her in her tracks. She sighed. 'Fine, I'll try it.'<br>'_Just give her a call. Meet her somewhere, tell her everything_.'  
>She nodded. 'I will. I'll call.'<br>'_Good. Do it now and call me back_.'  
>'Now?' She squeaked.<br>He chuckled. '_No time but the present_.'  
>'Ugh.' She sighed. 'I hate that saying.'<br>'_Do it_.'  
>'Fine! Fine. I'll do it. I'll call you back.'<br>'_You better. I'll be waiting_.'  
>'Creep.'<br>He laughed and she hung up on him.

* * *

><p>She pulled her forefinger over her phonebook contacts screen debating whether to call the bubbly smaller girl. She'd got her number from Puck, much to his suspicion – she never normally took any interest, let alone notice, of any of his so-called 'girlfriends'.<p>

'I'm going for a run babe…'  
>She looked up and saw those long lean legs bending from the waist in front of her. She looped the perfectly white laces on her white and purple Nike hi-tops together. 'I can think of something better to do…' She lowered her voice, watching the girl in front of her. The girl looked over her shoulder, her long black hair hanging below her shoulders. Quinn stood up off the couch and approached the girl from behind. She passed her left hand over the back of the girl's purple jersey shorts.<br>The girl laughed standing up straight. 'You're such a perv.'  
>She smiled into the girls shoulder. 'You're the one in <em>painfully<em> short shorts…'  
>'I'm the one going for a <em>run<em>…' The girl tried to walk to the door, but Quinn quickly put her hands over the girl's hipbones pulling her back into her front. She curled her chin into the left side of the girl's neck. She pressed her lips to the girls tanned skin and murmured. 'I can think of other ways you can work out…' She pulled her nails lightly across the girl's hipbones and the girl laughed, the vibrations from her throat tickling Quinn's lips. The girl put her fingers over Quinn's and pulled them away.  
>'Come on Q, I gotta go…'<br>She dropped Quinn's fingers back down by her sides and approached the door.  
>'Come on Lex…c'mere…' She sighed. 'You can go running when you're back in SF…'<br>She put her hand on the latch and half turned back to Quinn. 'You don't want me getting podgy now do you?'  
>Quinn stepped over to her and latched their lips together pulling on her bottom lip slightly, forcing the girl to lean back against the door. She slipped her right hand up over the girl's tanned navel underneath her grey USF Don's tee.<br>She groaned into her mouth. 'You feel fine to me…'  
>Lexie slipped out from between Quinn and the door, darted over to the couch and grabbed a pillow. Before she knew what was coming she felt a blow across the back of her head. She turned and Lexie was standing above her on the coffee table with that wide grin that first captivated her, a white pillow dangling from her right hand.<br>'_Oh_…' She growled laughing and Lexie yelped as Quinn stepped up onto the table and pushed the girl down onto the couch below them. She pinned the girl below her into the couch and nipped at her jaw line. The girl giggled below her, her abs shaking against Quinn as she settled on top of the girl.

* * *

><p>A ringing tone snapped her out of her daydream. Like a reflex she thought she'd forgotten, she had dialled Rachel's cell number.<br>A brisk sounding female voice answered. '_Go_.'  
>She tried to disguise the slight tremble in her voice. 'Rachel…?'<br>'_No. This is her assistant. Who's speaking?_'  
>She found her spine. 'This Quinn Fabray speaking.' The line went quiet. 'Hello…?'<br>'_What is your business with Ms Berry?_' She asked almost rudely.  
>'Is she there?'<br>'_Ms Berry is very busy_.'  
>And then Quinn heard a noise that made her tummy churn again. That unmistakable throaty giggle that used to make her heart sigh. She swallowed down her doubts and used that strength that she once had, that strength that she knew Rachel once loved. 'Could you put Rachel on the phone please? It's important.'<br>'_She is very busy at the moment, can I take a message?_'  
>And then a crackle and muffled speech echoed down the phone before Quinn heard that voice.<p>

'_This is Rachel.'_  
>She cleared her throat and paused before cautiously responding, that strength evaporating from just 3 words from that woman. 'I…It's me…' She croaked in response.<br>The line went quiet again for a second. _'Quinn…'_ She almost whispered.  
>'I need to see you. Can I…can I see you…?'<p>

She looked around herself; everyone seemed absorbed in what they were doing. Her assistant had disappeared into the background somewhere, but she could still feel herself being watched.  
>'I'm working.'<br>'_Just five minutes. Please, Rachel. Five minutes_.'  
>'1011 N Fuller Avenue.'<br>'_I'll be there soon_.'  
>As soon as Rachel hung up the phone her assistant was back at her side. She passed her phone back to the girl.<br>'If she ever calls again, you come tell me straight away. You understand?' She said sternly.  
>The girl nodded quickly. 'Loud and clear.'<p>

Quinn stepped outside of the LAX doors and hailed a bright yellow cab. The driver helped her put her case in the trunk and she sat in the back.  
>'Where to?'<br>She looked from the window to his eyes smiling at her from the rear-view. '1011 N Fuller Avenue, please.'  
>He smiled. 'Oh, you one of those modelactress types?'  
>She looked back to him but his eyes were now on the road. 'No…why…?'<br>'1011 N Fuller Avenue is Smashbox Studios. You sure you've got the right address…?'  
>She nodded. 'I'm visiting someone there.'<br>He nodded. 'Fair enough. Who you come to visit?'  
>She looked back out the window to her left. 'Rachel Berry.'<br>The cab swerved to the right, breaking her distraction a little.  
>'You know Rachel Berry?' He almost squeaked.<br>'I used to.' She responded with a heavy sigh.  
>'What's she like? She's hot!'<br>She smiled to herself. 'She's the best.'

Her phone began buzzing in her pocket.  
>'<em>You said you'd call me back<em>.' Said the now-familiar voice.  
>'I was gonna. I'm in a cab.'<br>'_What did she say?_'  
>'I'm on my way to see her now.'<br>He laughed. '_About time!_'  
>They sped down street after street, a stream of trees lining her vision.<br>'_Where you meeting her?_'  
>'Smashbox Studios.'<br>'_She's working?_' He screeched. '_Is it a good idea to meet her while she's working…?_'  
>'I have to see her. This is how I get to see her.'<br>The cab pulled to a stop. 'This is Smashbox.' The cab driver turned to look at her.  
>'Okay, I'm here, I gotta go.' She said down the phone.<br>'_Go knock 'em dead Fabray_.'  
>'Thanks Evans.'<p>

She paid the driver and vacated the cab. She looked at the glass door and took a deep breath. _Knock 'em dead Fabray_ she told herself.

She pulled the door back and stepped into the over air-conditioned reception where a young woman sat behind the white curved desk looking a little swamped by its size.  
>She approached the girl. 'Excuse me; I'm looking for Miss Rachel Berry…'<br>The girl responded trying to sound professional. 'I'm sorry the shoot is closed to press and fans.'  
>She smiled. 'Oh no, I'm not…I know her, she's expecting me…'<br>'I'm sorry the shoot is closed.' She repeated politely with one of the most fake smiles Quinn had ever seen.  
>Sighing, the blonde reached into her pocket and sent Rachel a text message.<p>

_**I'm here. **_

Kiss? No kiss? She couldn't decide so she left it without.


	7. Chapter 7

_**7. Gravity**_

A little over a minute of uncomfortable silence between Quinn and the preppy girl behind the desk, the double doors in front of them opened and in stepped the girl that turned her world upside down. Somehow, she still managed to do it.

The small girl…now a woman, was dressed all in black. Her hair was tousled and longer than the blonde remembered, those bangs shading her forehead, hanging low just above those dark pools she called eyes. She looked down and her feet were bare, her toenails painted black, pedicured of course. Her eyes drifted up over those toned, oddly-long legs for the woman's small height. She was wearing short black shorts and a black jacket that looked like leather, zipped up the front but yet revealed some bare olive skin over her chest.

Quinn saw where the zip stopped to reveal and had to catch her breath for a second. The smaller woman looked up to her. 'Quinn…'  
>She cleared her throat, snapping her out of her inappropriate thoughts.<br>'Quinn, what are you doing here…?'  
>'Can we…can we talk…?' She kept her voice low.<br>Rachel folded her arms, just emphasising where the zip was resting even more.  
>She shrugged. 'Fine.'<br>Quinn looked around them uncomfortably. 'Here…?'  
>Rachel rolled her eyes with a silent sigh. 'Follow me.'<p>

She led them through the clinically-white hallways until they came to a white door with a silver handle, and voices echoing the halls from the photoshoot became distant. She opened the door and Quinn followed her inside. She was met by what looked like a dressing room, although the door was unmarked. There were mirrors stretched over a wall illuminated by so many light bulbs she couldn't count. There were two small off-white couches in the room and a white coffee table but not much else.

Rachel leaned against the desk attached to the mirrors. She looked at her feet for a pause, and then back to Quinn with a deep intake of breath before moistening her bottom lip. 'Okay…talk…'  
>Seeing a flash of that tongue still managed to floor her. 'What…?' She asked distractedly.<br>'You said you wanted to talk. So talk.'  
>'Don't you wanna know what I'm doing here?'<br>She sighed. 'Okay then. What are you doing here Quinn?'  
>Quinn shrugged. 'I came to see you.'<br>The smaller woman scoffed. 'Well that's obvious.' She folded her arms again, tighter this time. Quinn knew that was her way of protecting herself. She'd never really been a people person, but once she let people in? Quinn thought it was nothing short of glorious.  
>She paused watching her. 'You're trying to defend yourself…' She said without thinking.<br>'What? No I'm not.' The other woman hit back defensively, arms still crossed.  
>Her heart sank. 'You think I've come back to hurt you don't you…'<br>'You already did that years ago.'  
>Her heart sank a little further. 'I don't wanna hurt you…'<br>'A little too late for that, isn't it Quinn?'  
>She looked like Fort Knox standing small but tough. Quinn decided to change tact. 'Do you remember the first time we met…?'<br>Her indifferent expression faltered slightly, her mouth briefly curled up at the right side. So briefly that Quinn thought she might have imagined it. 'Of course I remember.' The harsh tone returned.  
>She looked around them. 'I was just thinking 'bout it on the way over. I saw you in a movie on the plane…you've come so far from back then.'<br>'You flew here?'  
>'I'm still back in New York.'<br>Rachel almost smiled. 'I haven't been back since…' And then that almost smile was wiped clean away. She shook her head abruptly. 'Look, Quinn, _what_ are you doing here?'  
>She looked at her scuffed brown pirate boots and took a deep breath before looking back at Rachel and letting the words fall out of between her lips.<br>'I've come back for you.'  
>'Who do you think you are?' She responded immediately. Quinn looked at her a little stunned. 'Did you really think you could just come back here, and expect me to see you and just fall back into your arms and for everything to go back four years when everything was fine?' Her lips sealed tightly, her guard still painfully intact. 'Please tell me you're not that naïve.'<br>She started towards the door.  
>'Rach…'<br>That dark hair whirled around to reveal her face which was more upset than angry. 'No. I'm done. I'm done with you, and I'm done with us. You shouldn't have come back for me. You gave up that right when you went with her.' She swept a piece of her hair from her eye, stopping herself from letting a tear escape. 'I'm happy now. I've moved on. I'm over you and who we were.' She turned away and gripped the door handle with her right fist, steadying herself. She spoke calmly without looking at her again. 'Please never come back.'

With that, she walked out of the room. Quinn looked down and her hands were shaking, before her whole body began to tremble.

* * *

><p>She jammed the key into the lock and the door swung open as she dragged herself through the threshold. She carelessly dumped her case near the small navy couch covered with what looked like cigarette burns and coffee stains. She threw the key onto the beside table. She locked the door behind her and loosely tied her blonde hair up into a messy bun. She filled the cheap brown bathroom sink with water, hoping if she washed away the stains from the tears, it would make her feel better. It didn't work. She stripped off her old clothes, changing into a white tank top and crawled between the cheap looking dark green sheets.<p>

Morning rolled around, and she woke rubbing her eyes, confused by her surroundings. That was until yesterday's events hit her straight in the chest like a freight train. Rachel's ghostly voice echoed around her empty head, making her feel worse than ever. She was about to bury her head back into the pillows when she felt a vibration ripple up the bed. She sat herself up and dug into her cardigan pocket to find her vibrating cellphone. She almost thought she was hallucinating when she saw the name on the screen.

She pressed the green button and raised the phone to her ear.  
>The first thing she heard was mysterious sniffling.<br>'_I haven't moved on_.' The shaky voice finally spoke. '_I'm not over who we were_.'  
>Quinn's throat felt dry, her tongue desperately searching for some sort of moisture.<br>'_Quinn…?_' Her voice was still shaky.  
>She swallowed. 'I…I'm here…' She croaked, those two words all she could muster.<br>'_Can I see you?_' She asked, voice still trembling.  
>'I don't know, can you?' She shrugged.<br>'_I need to see you. Meet me at the Starbucks by the studio from yesterday_.'

* * *

><p>There was a light grey drizzle in LA that day, the sky felt heavy upon the blonde's already slumped shoulders. Coach Sue's lectures to her about posture really didn't matter to her anymore. Quinn had arrived at the designated Starbucks a little early to compose herself, in advance of the smaller woman's arrival.<p>

The glass and wooden door swung open, and in she breezed. She pulled off her damp light grey woolly hat and unzipped her black coat, taking in the warmth of the coffee shop. The first thing Quinn noticed was that slightly curled deep brown hair. Her light olive skin was radiant sans make up – she never needed it when she wasn't working. She timidly pulled out the seat in front of Quinn at the small round table and sat down.

'Your assistant isn't joining us then?' She opened with a hint of sharp sarcasm.  
>She shook her head. 'I just wanted to talk to you. Alone.' She said quietly. She unravelled her dark grey scarf from around her neck and draped it across her lap. 'I'm sorry.'<br>Her iPhone on the table illuminated and began buzzing. She cancelled the call but Quinn still saw her home screen photo of Rachel with her assistant, looking far too intimate to be professional.  
>Her heart dropped like an anvil into her abdomen when it dawned on her.<br>'You're together.' Rachel sat still non responsive, hand hovering over her cellphone, just staring at the offending item. 'Just tell me the truth.'  
>She was still unresponsive so she said the only thing she knew would get her attention. '<em>Peanut<em>…'  
>Rachel froze. Quinn almost regretted the decision until her head slowly rose, those all-consuming eyes lifting to meet Quinn's own. That bottom plump dark pink lip quivered a little.<br>She licked her bottom lip again. 'Yes.' She swallowed, keeping her voice low. 'We're together.' She looked around their surroundings. 'But no one knows.' And lowered her eyes again.  
>Quinn sat back. 'So all of what you said this morning is bullshit then?'<br>Rachel's eyes shot to Quinn's once more. 'What?'  
>'This morning you said you hadn't 'moved on'. You said you weren't 'over who we were'. So what you said was complete bullshit then?'<br>'No of course it's not.'  
>'Well what d'you want me to say Rachel? You're sleeping with your assistant. D'you want me to make this easy for you so you don't have to admit it to yourself?' She chuckled lightly. 'That's <em>exactly<em> it isn't it. You want me to tell you to break up with her and be with me so you won't feel so guilty about doing it yourself. You still feel guilty about what happened with Lexie, don't you…'  
>Rachel let out a low grunt. She always knew how to read her mind.<br>'Fine! Yes!' She exclaimed. 'Seeing you yesterday…made me realise things…things, that I didn't want to face up to.'  
>'She doesn't know that you're with me right now, does she…That's why you didn't answer her call…And you don't want her to know.' She responded simply.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Just wanted to say a big thank you to your comments, it's really good for me to see your reactions to the story and how many of you have alerts to the updates! I know quite a few of you are confused by the format of the story - I've kinda changed the description of the story to help. As we get further into the story you'll find there's a mix of flashbacks (like this chapter) and 'modern day' stuff as it were - to show how the girls got into their predicament they're in. **

**I hope that makes it all a little clearer. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>8.<strong> _**Closer**_

The raindrops hammered down as they ran back to Quinn's dorm room, Rachel following closely behind trailing from the blonde's fingertips. She guided her up the slippy rain-sodden steps. The key twisted easily in the lock and the giggling girls spilled into the room. The rain pounded angrily against the windows, making them feel protected in their warm shelter. Quinn disappeared for a second, retrieving towels for both of them. She offered one to Rachel.  
>She smiled reaching out to take the towel from Quinn's outstretched hand. 'Thanks.'<br>Their damp fingertips brushed together for a second exchanging the towel and it sent an odd sensation curling up Quinn's arm, just like the one at the Violets game. The smaller girl paused simply smiling at the blonde, those deep chocolate button eyes burning into her, causing her to pause as their eyes locked on to each other.

The old beige phone began to ring on the wall loudly, interrupting the short silence which had formed between the two girls. Quinn jumped slightly and immediately retreated to the phone on the wall. Rachel's eyes wandered around the other girl's dorm, trying not to eavesdrop on the call.

'Hey baby, yeah I just got home…the rain is crazy here! No I'll be okay, just gonna call it a night now and cart myself off to bed…yeah I'm exhausted too. Okay, yeah I'll call you tomorrow when I'm a bit more awake…yeah okay…okay, you too, bye.' She replaced the phone on the hook and turned smiling to a dripping Rachel, whose clothes were fitting very snugly to her small frame.  
>'I…I guess I should just get going if you wanna get to bed…' The brunette uttered uneasily.<br>'No, no we'll hang out. Just make yourself at home.' Quinn smiled politely as she rubbed the back of her neck with the white towel. 'I'll just fix up the popcorn.'

When Quinn returned, large yellow bowl of popcorn in hand, she found Rachel sitting on the old couch stripped down to her electric blue running shorts which grazed the very tops of her toned thighs and her varsity tee. She set the bowl of popcorn down between them on the couch and the brunette jumped a little. 'Sorry I…I put my pants on the radiator, I couldn't get dry…' She pointed to the white radiator under the dark window to illustrate her point.  
>She smiled in response. 'It's fine, wear whatever you want!' She reached up and pulled the patchwork quilt over them from the back of the couch. 'This should warm you up.' She reached forward to the remote and pressed play on the DVD. Rachel pulled the cover up over her chest. 'Thanks Q…'<p>

She looked across at the shivering girl. Her eye make up had smudged slightly in the rain, making her eyes look darker and more striking than she'd ever seen. Her grey varsity tee was split a little provocatively low, down over her chest, revealing just a little glimpse of a red bra which Quinn couldn't help but notice. She tried to ignore it, but she noticed that the girl was still shivering half an hour into the movie.

'Are you cold?' She whispered to the girl in the dim light.  
>'I'm…I'm okay, I'll be okay.' She responded trying to shake it off. Quinn took a sharp intake of breath before reaching out with her right hand and rubbed across the girl's left bare bicep. The skin under her fingertips was considerably colder than her own, and she thought she saw goose pimples spread under her touch.<br>'You're freezing…'  
>'No, no I'm okay…'<br>She moved her fingers along the smaller girl's skin and the goose pimples were undeniable. She moved her hand away from the girl and used it to shift more quilt towards her. 'Here, wrap yourself up, you're freezing!'  
>'But I don't wanna take all your quilt, you'll get cold.' She protested.<br>'I'll be okay, just get yourself warmed up.'

She gripped the side of the quilt, taking the whole thing with her as she rose to her feet. Before Quinn could question what she was doing she took the popcorn bowl in her free hand and sat back down on the couch leaving no space between the two girls forcing Quinn to place her arm behind the smaller girl against the back of the couch. She placed the rest of the quilt back over the taller girl's lap and gave her that same toothy smile from the basketball game.  
>'So neither of us has to be cold.' She chirped.<br>Quinn cleared her throat uncomfortably before spotting the bottle on the coffee table in front of them. 'Wine…?'  
>The girl looked from the bottle, to the taller girl and back to the bottle before nodding. 'Sure.'<br>She leaned forward. 'I'll just get some glasses…'  
>The other girl smiled and took the bottle from the table. She shook her head. 'No need.' She unscrewed the bottle cap and took a swig straight from the bottle and gasped slightly at the sharp taste before passing it back to Quinn. At first she was a little dubious, but as the other girl watched, she just shrugged and accepted the bottle with her free left hand and took her own gulp. The girls passed the bottle back and forth until a familiar hazy dizzying warm feeling filled them both.<p>

The movie was about half way through, and Rachel was comfortably leaning into the warm side of the blonde, her arm still draped around her middle.  
>'Are you warmer now?' Quinn whispered to the girl.<br>She turned her head and was met with the side of the taller girl's neck and she hummed a breathy 'Mhmm…' Quinn felt her breath on the side of her neck and slightly inhaled at the warm sensation. Rachel noticed her slight reaction and let out another 'Hmm…' She looked up at the taller girl's face and Quinn closed her eyes briefly before clearing her throat silently and letting out the breath she had been holding.

She turned her head into Quinn's neck again but this time something strange came over her. Her peach lips parted and she let her teeth drag lightly against the taller girl's pale neck. Quinn let out a shallow breath as the red marks left by the soft graze was replaced by a soft kiss over the same spot to her neck. She turned her head back to the right, and sure enough, the pair of seductively dark eyes were watching her. Suddenly she was very aware she had her hand attached to the girl's still damp lower back. What happened next, she couldn't really explain, as if it were just reflex. Her right thumb began to rub small circles against the smaller girl's back and those dark eyes drifted to her lips, watching them. She took her cue, and tilted her head down and brushed the smaller girl's lips against her own. She hovered her lips for a moment, but that didn't last long.

The soft kiss quickly turned urgent, wanting. Quinn pressed against her harder, and the smaller girl took her cue to guide Quinn back into the arm of the old couch. She swung her right leg over Quinn's thigh, so she was now sitting astride the taller girl. Not forgetting to keep warm, she brought the quilt over her back so it wrapped around both of the girls.

The siren looked down at her, that peach pink mouth curling into a slight smile at the left corner, her chest rising and falling. Quinn put both hands on the bottom of the girl's back this time, thumbs making circles over her kidney area. Rachel reached down and crashed their mouths together, and rested her hands against the arm of the couch behind Quinn's upper arms, bringing their bodies that much closer together. She massaged the lips of the girl under her with her own until Quinn was finding it difficult to breath. Hungry for oxygen, she ran her fingertips up under the dominant girl's grey tee until she could feel delicate little shoulder blades, and then dragged her short nails all the way back down again. The girl's lips snapped away from her own as her back arched into Quinn's curled fingers and she let out a low breathy moan. Quinn inhaled a deep breath of oxygen, restoring the air to her needy lungs. She looked up and the girl above her was also panting lightly, her chin in the air, leaving her long light olive skinned neck exposed. She closed her eyes and placed careful soft kisses up the front of the exposed neck just above her, breathing in the light scent of raindrops that mingled with the scent of vanilla on her skin.

As if waking from the most vivid dream she'd ever had, a familiar noise began to ring. Her eyes immediately sprang open, her mouth leaving the girl's soft skin. She scrambled to the left, almost knocking the girl completely off her lap. She grabbed her phone off the coffee table and Lexie's face illuminated her phone screen. 'Lex…?'  
>'<em>I didn't wake you, did I…?<em>'  
>She shook her head. 'No, no, I was just…' She looked up at Rachel who had started to climb off her. '…I was just reading.'<br>'_Oh, well I just wanted to wish you goodnight baby…_'  
>Quinn chuckled nervously. 'Don't dream about me too much.' She smiled.<p>

When she hung up she looked up to find Rachel standing, straightening herself out. She couldn't help but watch as the petite but curvy in all the right places girl walked over towards the window to retrieve her pants off the radiator. She looked out the window and let out a shallow sigh. Quinn took to her feet. 'Is it still raining…?'  
>The girl didn't turn around, just sighed and grunted lightly. 'Mhmm.'<br>She tried to walk over to the clearly uncomfortable other girl but she turned before she could even approach her. 'I better get going, Noah will be wondering where I'm at…'  
>Quinn's face fell and it was obvious the girls were thinking the same thing. <em>Shit. Puck! <em>A heavy weight pressed down on the blonde's chest as she realised just what they had done…what they could have done if Lexie's call hadn't interrupted them. _Shit! Lex!_ She winced, at how suddenly she felt so shitty.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you all for your lovely comments and reviews, I really like seeing how you're all getting on with the story. I see a few of you aren't liking Rachel's assistant and Lexie so much? Those of you who don't like Rachel's assistant may not enjoy this chapter! The next few updates will probably be multi-chapter updates as I've had this story written for a while, just to keep you all with me until I can find the time to write brand new chapters! Please do keep reading and keep me informed with what you think :)  
><strong>

**9.** _**Keep Yourself Warm**_

She swallowed hard and looked away shaking her head furiously. 'No. No! You can't keep doing this to me. You can't just pick me up and drop me again when it's convenient for _you_. It's all about _you_, Quinn.'  
>'You remember that day on the couch, don't you…'<br>Almost as if to block out her voice, Rachel continued shaking her head. 'We both know we should never have done that. We slipped up.'  
>'But look where it got us Peanut…'<br>She looked deep into her eyes. 'Don't call me that. Look I didn't come here to fight you. I just wanted to talk.'  
>'Tell that to your assistant…' She responded under her breath.<br>'Jess. Her name is Jess.'  
>'Have you slept together?'<br>'What?' She almost whispered but Quinn's expression was unfaltering.  
>'You heard me.'<br>'That's none of your goddamn business.'  
>Quinn tried to fight the smile that threatened to play around her lips. 'You haven't have you? How long have you been together…?'<br>'A few months…' She responded quietly.  
>Quinn stifled a laugh. 'No wonder she's so uptight…' She muttered under her breath.<br>Rachel stood up abruptly, forcing the chair back. 'That's it. I'm done with you if you're gonna behave like a prick.' Before Quinn could respond she turned on her heel and marched out of the Starbucks as fast as she could.

* * *

><p>As hard as she shook her head she couldn't get the image of Quinn's smirk out of her head. She charged through the door, yanking her key out of the lock sharply and slammed the door. Jess appeared from the hallway by the kitchen and walked into the living room, greeting Rachel. 'Hey, where you been? I tried to ca…'<p>

Before she could even finish her sentence Rachel walked forwards and grabbed her by the back of the neck, plunging their mouths together. Jess' eyes widened comically at the rough contact but she quickly loosened as the kiss intensified. Rachel slammed them against the cream wall, the sound of Quinn's stifled chuckles echoing around her swimming head._  
>No wonder she's so uptight…<em>  
>She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, trying to push Quinn out of her head with everything she had. She gripped onto the woman's hips against her, twisting her head to the right, deepening the kiss. She wanted to want her, she did. She <em>really<em> did. She just couldn't shake the images of the stunning blonde out of her head. Four years and infuriatingly, she hadn't changed a single bit.

* * *

><p><em>She<em> _felt a pair of hands snake ever so softly up her back, under her black tank top, leaving a trail of burning goosebumps in their wake against her cool skin. She felt soft lips trace the side of her neck, her chin facing the ceiling, eyes closed. She gargled back a chuckle as teeth scraped the olive skin. A thumb and forefinger captured her chin as a pair of lips connected ever so softly with her own that she could have dreamed it. She opened her eyes and the blonde's hazel eyes shone out contrasting the black graffitied walls around them as her fingertips disappeared under the waistband of her black skinny jeans with a naughty grin, and shooting stars rocketed in front of her eyelids as she snapped her eyes shut once more._

* * *

><p>Hearing a low groan that she didn't recognise, her eyes snapped open and she didn't see the statuesque blonde in front of her. Instead, she looked down as she felt something warm move against her and she realised just where her hand had wandered to with a heavy piano-like thud settling in her chest. Realising she couldn't withdraw easily; she proceeded and closed her eyes once more. So she did the only thing she could think of. She knew it was wrong but she couldn't let Quinn win, she just <em>couldn't<em>. So she dug deeper, pushed further and curled harder. It wasn't long before a pair of hands attached themselves to the top of her shoulder blades, clawing at her skin while she felt a body shudder against her own. She heard a final breathy whimper and a thud. Opening her eyes, she saw Jess' head collapsed against the wall, chest heaving for air. She withdrew her hand and balled it up into a fist, slinking off to the bathroom while Jess was distracted.

She shut the door quietly and washed her hands before retrieving her cellphone and dialling.  
>'You shouldn't have said that to me. You had <em>no right<em> to say that to me!' She fumed.  
>'<em>Rachel?<em>'  
>'No, it's the Grinch! Yes of course it's me!' She could almost hear Quinn smiling down the phone at her.<br>'_Sex not go so good_?'  
>'I hate you.' She grumbled.<br>She was definitely smirking now. '_Imagining me were you…?_' She cooed playfully.  
>Rachel's insides twisted. 'You can't say things like that to me. Not any more.'<br>'_Meet me again_.' She said after a short pause.  
>'What?'<br>'_You heard me. Meet me again_.'  
>'I can't.' She kept her voice low.<br>'_Because of your 'schedule' or Miss Bitch?_'  
>'Her name is Jess!' She all but screamed.<br>There was another short pause, a moment of realisation. '_She's still there isn't she? You're hiding out aren't you…?_ _I think I just got my answer…_'  
>'You're sick.'<br>'_You're the one who just fucked your girlfriend for the first time then called me._' She fired back.  
>'What do I have to do to get you to leave me alone…?' She sighed wearily.<br>'_Meet me. Just one more time and then I'll leave you alone I swear_.'


	10. Chapter 10

**10. _You And I_**

_**Message From: Rachel**_

_**Door is open. **_

The brass handle turned slowly within her grasp. She turned closing the door behind her and took a sharp breath as hands covered her eyes from behind.  
>'<em>Close your eyes…<em>' A voice whispered just by her ear, warm breath tickling her skin. She obeyed the instruction. '_Keep them closed and turn around._' The voice cooed as the hands were lifted away from her face. '_Don't open until I say…_'  
>She felt her book bag being lifted off her shoulder as her back hit the door. She felt hot breath skate over her lips, making them twitch. She heard a light clatter which she guessed would be her book bag being discarded onto the floor. A few seconds later she heard the voice.<br>'_Open your eyes…_'

She looked slightly down and found Rachel standing there in just a black lacy bra, and matching French panties, hands on hips. She walked forward into the centre of the room and lightly put her hands on the smaller girl's hips, moving her mouth down. She felt a pair of hands over hers; moving her hands away and she looked into the other girl's eyes. She smiled a cheeky grin and wagged a finger and the taller girl got the message. The siren took a hold of the front of the blonde's shirt and guided them both over to the opposite wall. The blonde put her hands either side of the siren's head against the wall behind them. She leaned down and took the plump lips against her own. A hand reached out and began to unbutton her shirt, but she took the wrist in her hand, stopping her. She pinned both of the roaming hands against the wall just above the brunette's head. She pulled away from the kiss and looked down into dark expectant eyes.  
>'Happy birthday baby.' Rachel breathed, her words almost inaudible.<p>

With that, she captured the lips below hers again, but with more pressure. She brought her hips against the girl's own, pressing the siren firmly into the smooth white wall. A low shaky moan emitted from the smaller girl's mouth let her know exactly what to do next. Pulling her mouth away from her girl, she looked down between their almost fused together hips and watched her left hand disappear beneath the surface of the black lacy underwear.

At least that was what she hoped to see again.

* * *

><p>She looked down at her phone screen and saw the message glaring back at her. 3 words, no kiss. Out of politeness, her knuckles hit the surface of the door twice, to let the siren know she'd arrived. She slipped the cell phone back into her oversized red cardigan pocket and took a deep breath as she reached out and turned the round door handle which was the same as her college dorm door handle.<p>

Entering the room, she found Rachel sitting in the corner in her oversized brown leather chair she had in college. Her knees were brought up to near her chest with her bare feet hanging over the edge, the fingers of her left hand playing with a thick strand of that deep brown hair. She made no effort to move as the taller blonde entered her apartment. She wasn't even the first to speak.

The blonde stood, hands dug deep into jean pockets, shoulders hunched slightly forwards. Her stance indicated she felt completely out of place. The brunette just watched her, trying not to smile. She was glad she felt out of place. She _was_ out of place.  
>'Nice place you got here.' The blonde opened looking around the room.<br>'You don't have to make pleasantries.' She stated plainly.  
>'Good to see you still can't take a compliment.' The blonde slightly smiled trying to break the tension she felt pressing down on them.<br>The brunette sighed. 'What are you doing here Quinn?'  
>'I'm getting my girl back.'<br>'I'm not your girl.'  
>'You'll always be my girl.' She looked straight at her.<br>'No I'm not. You gave up that right when _you_ ended it with _me_, remember?'  
>Hands withdrew from her pockets, her stance straightening up. She was ready for a fight.<br>'I ended it because I was scared, not because I stopped loving you.'  
>'You hurt me, Quinn. You know you did.'<br>'I know I did, I know. I'll always be sorry for that. I was terrified of losing you, so I pushed you away to protect you.'  
>'<em>How<em> did that protect me? I saw you kiss her with my own eyes at that party Quinn! It wasn't just in my own head.'  
>'I was angry. I was lost and I didn't know what to do. I freaked out and I didn't know what to tell you. I couldn't tell you.'<br>'You know you could've told me anything. _Anything_, Quinn. You knew that from the start.'

Quinn searched for any glimmer of the old Rachel in her eyes, the one she knew before the hurricane came. A soft light illuminated the right side of her face, from the bubble lamp sitting on the small wooden table between her chair and the identical one adjacent to her. The room reminded her so much of that dorm room she once loved. The dorm room that was filled with things so perfectly Rachel. She realised she only had one option: the truth.  
>'I was scared. I was scared of loving you.'<br>A puzzled expression clouded Rachel's beautiful features. 'How does that mean you were terrified of losing me?'  
>'You are my best friend Rachel.' She paused. '…Were my best friend…I didn't wanna know I couldn't be your friend, that you wouldn't be in my life. I was terrified of losing you completely, so I pushed you away to save our friendship while I figured out what the hell I was doing.'<br>'And you figured it out inside that girl's mouth?'  
>She didn't quite know how to respond to that. 'I was scared of people talking. People looking. The pointing fingers. I was scared to love you.'<br>'Because I'm a _girl_?' She squeaked. 'You were scared to love me because I'm a _girl_? You apparently 'found yourself' in another _girl's_ mouth. Don't you dare try to tell me you were scared to love me because I'm a girl.' She spat.  
>'I didn't know I was gay.'<br>'Uh, _newsflash_ Quinn – if you're not gay what the hell were we doing for four years? What about Lexie? Or has she just been erased from your short memory...? Last time I checked we're pretty gay…'  
>'I know I am <em>now<em>! I didn't know anything back then. I was just a stupid girl. I thought Lexie was just gonna be another experiment... I was terrified of how _you_ made me feel, I'd never felt like that before...'  
>'Because I'm a girl?' She rolled her eyes.<br>'I'd never felt like that about _anyone_ before. Or since.'  
>'Oh how sweet. Do tell me when I'm supposed to coo and melt into your arms, wont you?' She replied sarcastically.<br>'And you called _me_ a prick…' She hit back slightly under her breath.

Rachel took to her feet. Quinn _knew_ she hated it when she'd mutter things under her breath. Quinn's dwindling fight was suddenly re-ignited seeing Rachel on her feet, approaching her.  
>'What did you just say?'<br>'I said 'and you called _me_ a prick''  
>She moved closer, caught up in the fight. 'And what's that supposed to mean?'<br>Quinn bit back a smile. 'You know exactly what that means.'  
>'Get out.' She snarled, unconsciously inching slightly closer.<br>Quinn raised her chin a little. 'No.'  
>'Quinn, get out <em>now<em>.'  
>She lowered her chin slightly and realised just how close their proximity had become. The smell of the girl's Daisy perfume lingered over her and she heavily restrained a smile from escaping. She had to keep her just there as long as she could. Her lips were hovering just above the smaller girl's.<br>'_Make me_.'  
>Just those two words from Quinn made a familiar twinge in Rachel's abdomen. <em>Not now<em>. She thought. _Not…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by lips on hers, hands around the back of her waist. She felt familiar warmth at the same time as a wrecking ball blowing through her chest. She felt breathless, completely powerless. Searching for breath, she moaned into the taller blonde attached to her, stirring new life into both of them. Almost as if she forgot where she was, or that it was four years down the line, Rachel reached up on her tip toes and tangled her left hand in soft Timotei blonde hair pressing her mouth further into the blonde girl's. She felt hands grip her hips, pulling her in and fusing them together. She used her right hand to push off the oversized cardigan, mouths never leaving each other. She grabbed hold of the shirt in front of her and pulled her backwards.

The next time Quinn opened her eyes, she found those big brown moons above her looking down. She watched the siren remove her leather jacket, before settling back down onto her lap. Everything was the same as the same as that first time, and everything was different. Lips met lips again, mouths melted into mouths, and tongues danced with tongues. Just like before, nails found Rachel's back and she pressed down harder into Quinn's lap, rocking her hips forward. Quinn leaked a groan, vibrating against the brunette's mouth, so she repeated the action. Looking down, Quinn noticed the bottom of Rachel's white dress riding up around her toned thighs. She looked back up and those brown eyes were watching her intently. She gave her the nod, and with eyes never leaving hers, Quinn reached two trembling hands underneath Rachel's flimsy dress brushing her fingertips against her hip bones. Rachel's eyes drifted shut and she nodded once again, their lips colliding again.

* * *

><p>As if snapping awake from a nightmare, Quinn broke her stare with the girl above her and looked across to the door.<br>'What the _hell _is going on here?' She kept her voice low, a slight tremble escaping.

Quinn looked back at the beautiful blonde masked girl propping herself on the lip of the sink. The unnamed girl looked across to the door and saw Rachel's stone cold face before looking back at Quinn. She slid off the sink and Quinn took a step back before looking across at Rachel blocking the doorway. The girl stepped towards the door, looking to escape.  
>'Not a chance.' Rachel growled at the mysterious masked girl.<br>Quinn took a step forward. Brown eyes shot to her. '_Don't you dare move_.' She spoke again, this time with a sting of venom. 'Neither of you are going anywhere until someone explains what the hell I just saw.' She stated looking between both of the girls.  
>Quinn slid her plastic vampire teeth out of her mouth, clearing her throat. 'Peanut…'<br>'Don't you _dare_ say my name.' She kept her voice low; aware she was standing in an open doorway, hearing the various hoots of encouragement coming from the keg stand occurring in the room across the narrow hallway.  
>Quinn sighed. 'It's all my fault. It was all me. Lily is completely innocent.'<br>Rachel looked at the girl, still wearing her black cat mask, guarding her eyes. 'She looks _far_ from innocent.'  
>At that comment, the girl stripped her mask off her face. Seeing just how stunning the mystery blonde really was, Rachel felt a hard and devastating kick to her abdomen.<p>

She moved inside the room, closing the door behind her, eyes never leaving the tall blonde pair.  
>'When…'<br>They both looked at her confused. She looked at Quinn, fire rippling through those deep brown eyes.  
>'When…' She repeated again growling.<br>Quinn's tongue rolled around her mouth once searching for moisture, still being able to taste the stunning blonde's mouth against her own before answering. 'About twenty minutes ago.' She answered simply.  
>'While I was parking…' She shook her head in stunned disbelief. Feeling tears making their way up, Rachel growled stubbornly, refusing to crack. <em>Not now<em>. She slid to the left side of the door leaving it exposed. She didn't even look at the other girl, but she knew what to do.

The door shut quietly behind her, leaving the siren and her murderess alone. She kept looking down at her feet; she couldn't bring herself to look into that face again. Not without cracking. She heard the blonde swallow and she looked up into her eyes. 'And when did you think about me in all this?'  
>Quinn simply couldn't answer. She just kept staring at the girl, hoping to find some light. She knew she'd done wrong, she did. She felt the wind beginning at her feet and she knew the hurricane had begun.<br>'That's right. You didn't.' She continued, weakening every time she spoke. 'Am I supposed to forgive you now because you played the heroine and took the hit instead of denying it to me?' She laughed, sickened by the thought. 'Of course you couldn't deny it to me. Not since I just saw it. If I didn't catch you both, would you tell me…?'  
>'Speak.' She spoke softly. She couldn't even bring herself to say her name.<br>'Yell.' Was all the blonde responded. Rachel gave her a puzzled look. 'Yell.' She repeated. 'Yell; cry, scream Rachel, anything!' She pleaded.  
>'<em>Don't<em> say my name. Don't you dare say my name.' She warned again.

Before she could back away, Quinn took the steps forward, closing the gap between them and seized Rachel's small wrists into her fists. She brought her into her chest and brought her lips down to beside her ear. 'I'm sorry.' Her voice began to crack. 'I should have stopped her. I'm _so_ sorry.' Small fists began to pound her chest as she felt sobs begun to wet her tank top. 'I'm _so so sorry_.' She just kept repeating softly, the small balled up fists continually beating her chest, shaking her heart to its very core.  
>'I can't.' She whispered softly into Rachel's ear. 'I just can't do this.'<p>

And then Rachel felt the pressure release. From around her fists but also from her chest, throat and eyes. A sick feeling finally crashed through her insides. She opened her eyes and Quinn was gone as she felt herself being swept up into the hurricane.


	11. Chapter 11

**11_. This Is The Life _**

'Sam?'  
>There was a small pause. '<em>Quinn…?<em>'  
>'Yeah, it's me.'<br>He chuckled. '_So much for letting me know how it went_.'  
>'I'm letting you know now.'<br>'_So…what happened…?_' He asked hopefully.  
>'She's with someone else now.'<br>The other voice at the end of the line went quiet. '_Oh…_'  
>'I thought I had a chance. But I don't.'<br>'_Did she tell you straight away?_'  
>'Tell me what?'<br>'_That she's with someone else dummy! Did she tell you straight away?_'  
>'No…'<br>'_Exactly_.'  
>'What?'<br>'_You still have a shot_.'  
>'No I don't, Sam. It's over now. Her girlfriend walked in on us.' She responded with resounding defeat.<br>'_You mean you actually got somewhere with her?_' He suddenly squeaked excitedly.  
>'Just kissing.' She sighed in response.<br>'_You can't give up Quinn. Not now. You've flown across states to see her. That obviously means something to her_.'  
>'She's with someone else now. She's happy now.'<br>'_And what about you, Quinn? Are you happy?_'  
>'I'm happy she's happy.'<br>He grumbled. '_Don't even try to feed me that Quinn. That's bullshit and you know it. You're miserable I can hear it in your voice._'  
>'Then tell me Sam, what am I supposed to do?' She almost yelled.<br>'_I can't tell you that, only you know that. Just remember, everything will be okay in the end…_'  
>She gasped. '…if it's not okay, it's not the end…' She interrupted finishing for him. Her mojo began to return. 'Sam thank you, you're a <em>genius<em>!'  
>He chuckled confused. '<em>You're welcome…?<em>'  
>An idea hit her like a lightning bolt. 'I'll call you.'<br>She could hear his schoolboy grin. '_You better_.'

* * *

><p>She ran as fast as she could, her feet pounding the rain sodden pavement, this time filled with determination. She ran the three blocks back, and she found herself standing once again on Rachel's apartment building stoop. She buzzed the button labelled <em>4F<em> and after a few long seconds a crackle sounded.  
>'<em>Hello…?<em>' It was Jess' voice.  
>She hadn't bargained on Jess still being there after what she saw. Quinn sighed and didn't respond, she knew there was no point in even trying to talk to her, yet she didn't wanna give up. She <em>couldn't<em> give up. Her princess was still in the tower, she just had to scale the castle walls.

So instead she waited. She leaned against the wall and slid down until her ass hit the damp stone stoop. Sam's words echoed through her head, giving her encouragement. She waited until her ass went numb and cold from the damp air surrounding her. Her blonde fringe stuck to her forehead, and her hair was limp from the rain.  
>'Well you look like shit…' A young guy with dark curly hair and glasses laughed looking down at her.<br>She looked up and after a pause her brain flicked to '_on_' mode. 'Yeah, I locked myself out and I can't get in…'  
>The guy held out his hand, and he pulled her up with a slight chuckle. 'I do that a lot too. What apartment you in?'<br>'_4F_.' She replied quickly. 'I guess my roommate is out, she's used to me forgetting my key so she normally lets me in.'  
>He jangled his keys in his pocket, still half listening until he realised. His face lit up. 'Oh you're in with Rachel Berry…?'<br>She smiled back. 'Yep, lucky me!' She chuckled.  
>He held the heavy white door open for her as they both slid inside the apartment building. 'Thanks.' She smiled sheepishly.<br>He veered off to the left. 'No problem…?'  
>She smiled reaching out her hand. 'Quinn. My name is Quinn.'<br>He shook her hand with a warm smile, the kind that's not too common in New York. 'Nice to meet you Quinn, I'm Blaine.' He shifted the paper bag of groceries under his left arm. 'I better get these inside, tell Rachel I said hello?'  
>She nodded. 'Sure thing.'<br>Without another word he disappeared behind the elevator shaft and she stepped inside, beginning her painfully slow ascent to _4F_.

She knocked three times slowly to try and disguise it was her behind the door, golden writing staring _4F_ straight into her face. The door flung open, and she saw Rachel's tear-stained face. Just as quickly as it opened, she tried to slam the door again but Quinn jammed her right foot in the way, her big toe getting slightly battered in the process – but she had bigger things to worry about.  
>She spoke despite only being able to see Rachel's forehead as she lowered her head and whispered as if it were a delicate secret.<br>'_Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end…_'  
>Rachel's head jerked up in recognition, her fingers letting go of their death grip on the doorframe. The door was flung back again, Jess standing at Rachel's side.<br>'_You…_' She practically hissed. Quinn was half expecting Medusa to pop out of her hair. 'It was you at the buzzer…'  
>'Rachel…' She ignored the taller brunette attempting to bore hot beams into her soul.<br>'Get out Quinn and _never come back_.' Jess seethed.  
>'Rachel…' She tried again. The small brunette was looking everywhere but at her. She felt as if she was being suffocated, she just needed one look from the brunette.<br>'_Quinn!_' Jess finally roared. Rachel's head snapped to Quinn's face as she looked at Jess. Her face turned back to Rachel and their eyes connected. Her chest hitched and she felt those deep brown pools re-inflate her.

She whipped back to Jess. '_Shut it butch_. I'm here to talk to _Rachel_.'  
>Jess stepped in front of Rachel, almost nose to nose with Quinn. '<em>Leave<em>.' She snarled.  
>Eyes never left hers. Quinn let a smile curl around the right side of her lips. '<em>Make me<em>.'  
>Suddenly Quinn heard a high pitched screech as she felt a hard blow to her face. She opened her eyes, looking down her fingers were covered in deep crimson liquid. She looked up and Rachel was screaming at Jess, although Quinn couldn't take in what she was saying, the pulsing pain in her face taking her attention. She closed her eyes again, and when she opened them those brown moons were mere inches away, staring deep into her. Rachel swept a strand of blonde hair away from Quinn's right eye. She wrapped the fingers of her right hand around the flattened girl's hand and pulled her to her feet.<p>

'Let's get you cleaned up.'  
>As Rachel dabbed under Quinn's delicate nose with a damp washcloth, the blonde smiled.<br>Rachel pulled back slightly. 'What…?'  
>'You remember.' She smiled at her.<br>'Remember what…?'  
>'<em>Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end…'<em>  
>At that she dumped the washcloth in the porcelain sink behind Quinn and distanced herself. She shook her head, refusing to look at her. 'You can't just turn up here after all this time and say things like that.'<br>'But you _remember_. You can't deny that you don't remember.'  
>'Of course I remember!' She laughed. 'It was our graduation!'<br>Quinn looked down at her rain-sodden Converse before looking back up again. She watched Rachel look everywhere in that bathroom but at her.  
>'I wouldn't take it back y'know.'<br>Her eyes drifted over to Quinn's. 'Take what back?'  
>'Any of it.' She shook her head. 'I'd never take any of it back because it's what got me standing right here,' She chuckled lightly looking down 'with a bloody nose, in your bathroom.'<br>Rachel sighed. 'Well I'm glad you're having such a good fucking time.' Quinn looked over to her.  
>Rachel waved her arms exasperated. 'I'm pretty sure I just lost the only person who has actually meant something to me recently.' At that, Quinn burst out laughing, real belly-shaking laughter. The smaller girl glared at her.<br>'Don't even try to pretend to me that's true.'  
>'You're good at that aren't you?' She fired back. 'Breaking up relationships…'<br>'You're gonna play the Puck card? _Really_?' She scoffed. 'You know what _really_ happened.'  
>'<em>You<em> kissed _me_. _You_ had a girlfriend.'  
>'<em>You<em> had Puck.'  
>'Noah was <em>your<em> best friend.'  
>'<em>You<em> kissed _me_ first.'  
>'Oh you're really gonna get that petty are you? What happened to '<em>see me one more time and I'll leave you alone<em>'…? Huh…?'  
>'Look what happened. I saw you and look what happened. There's more between us and you <em>know<em> it.'  
>'It was a mistake.' Her expression was unreadable. Quinn knew she couldn't give up now. <em>Not now<em>. She could hear Sam's voice in the back of her head, encouraging her.  
>'You know it wasn't a mistake.' She watched her, trying to make her look back. She knew if she could just get Rachel to look at her she still had a chance.<br>As if in slow motion, those brown pools drifted towards her own eyes.  
>'I miss you.' Rachel responded with a sigh.<br>Quinn felt a rising warmth beginning to encase her chest.  
>'I miss <em>you<em>. The old you.' The brunette shook her head and briefly closed her eyes. When they opened back up again they glittered with restricted tears. 'I don't know who you are anymore. You're just another stranger to me now.'

That rising warmth quickly turned ice cold.


	12. Chapter 12

_**12. The World Is Mine**_

The older woman with the bad tight perm remained sitting behind her small white desk. She set the receiver back down onto the cradle. She simply cast her eyes over to her and grumbled. 'He's ready for you now.'  
>She nodded to the woman as she stood, putting her hands on her jean clad thighs to steady them before taking a deep breath. She could feel the older woman watching her, so she inhaled silently and raised her chin striding towards the glass pained door. She gripped the gold doorknob in her pale fist and twisted.<p>

The white bearded man was sitting behind his fiercely large mahogany desk – _overcompensating perhaps?_ She smirked to herself. He placed his palms onto the sides on the desk for leverage and stood respectfully as she entered the room and shut the door behind her with a quiet click.  
>He smiled warmly. 'Ms Fabray, thank you for waiting.' He gestured a large hand towards the two small armchairs placed in front of the desk. 'Please, take a seat.'<br>Under his gaze she walked forward and placed herself into the small armchair to the left. He noticed her unease and chuckled slightly.  
>'I understand we haven't had the chance to meet yet Ms Fabray?'<br>She cleared her throat. 'Please Professor Adkins, just call me Quinn.'  
>He sat back into his chair smiling, placing his fingertips together into a peak. 'Okay then Quinn, none of this Professor Adkins business.' He waved a dismissive hand. 'Just James, okay?' He smiled, his eyes lit expectantly.<br>'Uh...' She stuttered slightly. 'O-Okay…'  
>He clicked his fingers. 'Good. Now onto more pressing matters. Your graduation is coming up…'<br>Her eyes lit up in alarm. 'Uh…'  
>He chuckled. 'Don't worry Quinn, you're still graduating.'<br>She sighed in clear relief. 'Sorry, go on…'  
>He smiled again. 'As I was saying, obviously you are aware of your impending graduation. Also, as you already know, every year each graduating class has a guest speaker from one of your leading professors. Would you like to be the speaker this year Quinn…?'<br>Her face dropped like a lead weight and she choked on her own saliva. 'I'm sorry?' She screeched at an unnaturally high pitch.  
>He smiled that he had captured her attention. 'The staff normally discusses at length which professor would be most suitable to speak in front of each graduating class. However, this year we decided on a change. We decided that alongside the professor speaking, we should also have a graduating student speak to their fellow graduating class. You know, to make the whole experience more relatable – rather than listening to some old professor babble that you've been listening to for the past four years.'<br>Her eyes flickered back and forth, still trying to recover from the sudden request.  
>'B-but…wh-why…'<br>'Why you?' He asked looking at her closely. She nodded slowly finally looking at him.  
>'Because we think you can be an example to your fellow graduates. We've been impressed by you Quinn. You didn't have the best start here at NYU, but we've seen you really develop – the staff here unanimously agree with me. We talked at great length about the possibility of requesting to present you as a leading example of how to succeed to your fellow graduates. We think that you could be the perfect fit as a speaker at your graduation. What do you think of the idea? You've been very quiet…' He chuckled to himself.<br>'Well…I…can't say I'm not surprised…' She managed to squeak out.  
>'Of course you can refuse, and we'll just go back to the old way of doing things. We just thought it would be an interesting change…are you interested at all…?'<br>She almost waited too long to reply. 'I…' She laughed. 'I…' She started to laugh. Properly, giddy, belly laughing. She felt moisture sting her eyes as she clung onto her abdomen as her whole body shook. When she looked up, she found Professor Adkins watching her with a confused expression and a raised brow.  
>He cleared his throat. 'May…may I ask what is so amusing Quinn…?'<br>'Just that you want _me_ of _all people_ to do this!' She managed to croak out before she calmed herself down enough to speak without her voice cracking. 'I just…look at me…look at my track record…'  
>He sat back again, serenely smiling to himself. 'Exactly.' He held up his hands.<br>She gave him a puzzled look. 'So lemme get this straight. You want _me _the girl who failed first year here; the one who skips class more than I'm _actually_ there, and the one who rarely hands in papers on time to be _the class speaker_?'  
>She chuckled shaking her head. 'You are <em>out<em> of your mind Sir.'  
>He smiled. 'Interesting…' She stared at him. He raised a brow before a shrug. 'I never pegged you as one to back away from a fight Quinn...'<br>Her insides ignited. She knew what he was doing. She gritted her teeth and stuck out her pale slight hand in comparison to his, looking him straight in his watery blue eyes.  
>'<em>I'll do it<em>.'


	13. Chapter 13

_**13. Forever Young**_

The day had finally arrived. Quinn stood at the white panelled window in the deserted cafeteria watching the fir trees on the opposite side of the football field sway in the breeze. She watched as her classmates milled around each other on the field, laughing and embracing. She felt a sense of nostalgia wash over her, mixing with the heavy, sickening feeling of dread she already felt. She took a shallow breath in through her nose and exhaled through her mouth.

The feel of small hands gripping the gown hanging over her waist startled her.  
>'Don't move or I'll shoot.' She heard from just behind her ear in that familiar voice.<br>A calming smile found her lips. Without turning she just knew who it was. 'Hey Diva…'  
>The hands dropped from her waist. 'How did you know it was me?' Came a small and slightly pathetic whine.<br>Quinn turned and the diva stood below her, a pink bottom lip protruding. She put her hands at the top of the smaller girl's arms and kissed her forehead. 'Call it…_intuition_.' She smiled down at Rachel with a sparkle in her eyes.  
>'What are you doing in here anyway…? Why don't you come outside with the rest of us, I was looking <em>everywhere<em> for you!' She huffed.  
>She took her hands away from her girl's arms and glanced back towards the window. 'I'll be out soon.'<br>The diva tried to reach out for her hand. 'Why don't you just come out now? Noah and the guys are wondering where you are…'  
>She recoiled her hand. 'You go on ahead, tell them I'm fine. I'll be out soon.'<br>'But the ceremony is starting soon…' Rachel whined.  
>She <em>definitely<em> didn't need reminding of that. Her tummy flip-flopped at the thought. 'Exactly, so you should go get your seat…'  
>The divas eyes started to slowly fill with little tears. 'Oh my god…' She said in a small voice.<br>She looked down and noticed the divas eyes. 'Baby are you okay…? Are you cr…'  
>The diva looked straight up at her. 'You're not graduating are you…?' She said slowly. 'That's why you've been acting so weird lately…'<br>Quinn's brows furrowed, and then she tilted her head back letting out a guffawing laugh. As the taller girl's shoulders shook in amusement the smaller girl looked at her confused.  
>'What's so funny…? Not graduating isn't exactly funny Quinn…' A small foot stomped.<br>'No…' The blonde girl choked out through a laugh. 'No, it's not that!'  
>The smaller girl stood with her hands in small fists by her sides. 'Then what is it?'<br>She placed her hands back on the girl's shoulders and placed a chaste kiss on her indignant mouth before looking into her puppy-dog eyes. 'Just please baby, don't fight me on this. Just go take your seat and I'll explain everything later, okay?'  
>She huffed after looking at Quinn's insistent face. '…Fine. I'll go. But you owe me Fabray.'<br>She smiled and kissed her girl a final time. 'Anything you want my lady.' She tilted her head towards the field. 'Now go.'  
>A smile crept to her lips. 'Anything…?'<br>Quinn simply winked in return.

* * *

><p>Professor Adkins stepped up onto the wooden podium, placing his large hands either side of the stand. Rachel looked along the row of her fellow graduates, and saw that Quinn's seat was still empty. She bit at her bottom lip, hoping that whatever the hell was going on wasn't gonna stop Quinn attending her own graduation.<p>

'Good afternoon Class of 2010...' Adkins began, the microphone echoing around the football field. 'You've finally reached the end of your time here at New York University, and today is the day that we all celebrate your individual achievements and your collective triumphs during your few years here with us. Today is your own special day for all of you to reminisce. As you know, as you're about to graduate, one of your professors has prepared a special speech for you all. But this year is a little different…'  
>Rachel had tuned out of Adkins' little introductory speech, still watching Quinn's empty chair wondering what the hell could be keeping her so long.<br>'…This year in addition to having a staff speaker. We also have a guest speaker, which you've all probably observed from your accompanying programs. So without further ado, Class of 2010, please help me in welcoming your guest speaker…Ms. Quinn Fabray…'  
>Adkins' voice echoed in Rachel's brain. Her head whipped around so fast it's surprising she didn't give herself whiplash.<p>

But lo and behold, she wasn't hallucinating. Quinn's mesmerising hazel eyes found Rachel's bewildered face and she gave a small smirk in recognition. She shook Adkins' hand confidently as they shared a smile, and he whispered something in her ear. She hid a small folded up piece of paper in her right hand as she stepped up onto the podium which Adkins' had just occupied.  
>She took a low and shaky breath before kicking herself mentally. She brushed a single piece of blonde hair away from her pale face.<p>

'Class of 2010…' She began with a high pitched squeal of feedback from the black microphone in front of her face. 'Class of 2010,' She tried again. 'I guess you're wondering why I'm standing up here. Honestly, I was too. But then I thought about it. I'm you. I'm all of you. I'm the geek, the jock, the popular kid, the cheerleader, the greaser, the average student. I'm who you are today. But tomorrow, you're gonna be someone different. You're not gonna be a college kid tomorrow. You're gonna be out in that wide world, and it's gonna be scary. But only if you let it. Each of you has two options. You can either go out into that scary world without the protection of this place and become overwhelmed, or you can go out fighting. Fighting for your dreams, fighting to find that wonder in the world that's out there – just waiting for _you_ to discover. Whatever you decide to do my fellow graduates, just make sure it's something you love. If it's selling cars, starring in movies or simply flipping a burger – it doesn't matter. Now is the time to find what you love. And when you find that thing that you love…'  
>She looked straight at Rachel.<br>'…Whatever you do, don't let it go because if you always do something you love, you can never go wrong.

'Somewhere along the road, memories of this place will become hazy, you'll forget the names of the people sitting around you right now, when you try to tell your kids, maybe even your grandkids of your college adventures. I only have one wish for you Class of 2010. I hope none of you ever forget your dreams. Nurture them, hold on to them, just give them a chance. Sometimes things won't work out the way you hoped.' She shrugged emphatically. 'That happens in the real world. But, my fellow graduates, if there's one thing I wish you to remember, it's that everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.' She found Rachel's teary eyes again and smiled. 'Now at the risk of sounding like a major dork, in the words of Spock –_Live long and prosper_. Congratulations, Class of 2010.' She exhaled the long breath she didn't know she'd been holding and smiled. 'Looks like we made it.'

She closed her mouth, smiled and nodded to the frozen crowd before stepping down off the podium back onto the stage while everyone sat in a silent pause. As soon as she turned her back and looked down at her feet, she heard a single hoot. The hoot was followed by a vibrating thrum of what sounded like thunder. She turned, raising her head, keeping a hold of her black cap to see her classmates on their feet stomping, cheering and clapping. Her eyes surfed along the sea of beaming, howling faces to find the one face she needed to see. Her hazel eyes darted back and forth, and became increasingly discouraged when she failed to see that one solitary face.

She suddenly felt a large firm hand clap the back of her shoulder and she jumped slightly. Turning she saw Adkins' beaming face, closer than she'd ever seen it. She could smell the coffee that positively radiated from him. 'I knew you could do it Fabray.' He beamed, trying to speak over the continuing din. 'Now go have fun with your classmates.'  
>She smiled back at him and shook his warm hand. 'Thank you Sir.'<br>He ushered her off the stage as he took his spot back on the podium.

She descended down the few makeshift metal steps at the right hand side of the stage with a clang and was suddenly yanked roughly by the wrist to the right hand side, out of sight. When her eyes could focus properly, she found a mischievous brunette grinning up at her, pinning her to the back wall of the stage.  
>'<em>Rach?<em>' Quinn squealed before a small hand covered her mouth.  
>The smaller girl stood on the tips of her toes so her mouth brushed the shell of the blonde's ear.<br>She kept her voice low. 'If I knew you could talk like that…' She purred. 'I may have let you fuck me a _long_ time ago…' She nipped the side of her ear.  
>Quinn closed her eyes and let out a squeaky moan muffled by the tanned palm.<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

_**14. Smile**_

The dull thumping of the bass line vibrated the floor underneath them. She tugged on what felt like a door handle, and the door swung open, the entrance to a dark room. Without breaking their lips she used her heel to shut the door behind them, plunging them into the darkness. Her head felt like it was echoing, the alcohol swimming freely around her swaying body. She opened her eyes when she felt a distance between her and the other warm, soft body. Almost black eyes shone out against the backdrop of the moonlight filling the room. Lips curled to the right, as a chin slowly rose, challenging her.

She wasted no time in approaching the other body, grabbing the hem of the white top in her fist and pulling it forward, crashing their lips together again. Something within her ignited like a Zippo lighter and she pushed against the body, until it hit the white porcelain sink behind them with a dull gasp. She grazed the smooth neck with her teeth, the scent of banana shampoo filling her senses. A low moan leaked from the throat by her mouth. '…Yes…' She bit down harshly on the skin underneath her tongue followed by a sharp hiss.  
>'Oh yessss…!' Came a squeal. She traced the bite mark with the tip of her tongue, and then the body underneath her went completely rigid. She stopped, pulling away her mouth when she heard the door collide with the radiator behind it. A light flicked on above them and her head whirled around to see their intruder.<p>

* * *

><p>She raced back down the stairs, tearing through the double doors at the entrance to the building. Her feet hit sodden pavement and she didn't even care she was barefoot.<br>'Rach…'  
>She turned brushing a tear away threatening to fall. She cleared her throat. 'I didn't know you were gay…'<br>Her face scrunched up. 'Wh..' She stuttered. 'I-I'm not. What…that…?' She laughed uncomfortably, a little too hard.  
>Rachel arched a brow. 'Looked like you two were going at it…last time I checked, that's pretty gay, Quinn.'<br>A small smile emerged on her intoxicated face. 'Whaddyou care, Rachel…?'  
>She became visibly flustered. 'I don't.' She cleared her quickly drying throat with a small cough and looked the glassy-eyed blonde up and down. 'Just didn't think you were the whoring type.'<br>Quinn's smile fell. 'Is this about what happened?'  
>Rachel's stance hardened again. 'What?'<br>'Is this about what happened the other night on the couch?'  
>'Does Lexie know…?' Rachel countered.<br>She waved her hand. 'She doesn't matter now.'  
>Her face twisted. 'What?'<br>'Lexie and I aren't together anymore…'

'Oh that's a shame, I liked you both together.' A familiar voice spoke. She turned her head and Puck had her by the shoulder. 'You need to talk about it…?'  
>She smiled at him thankfully and touched his right hand on her shoulder. 'Not much to tell.' She shrugged and then looked at Rachel. 'Just didn't feel the same.'<br>He kissed the top of her blonde head sympathetically. 'Well as long as you're okay?'  
>She smiled and nodded. 'I'll be fine Puck, really.'<br>He ruffled her hair. She really did love that guy as if he were her big brother. She looked up at him as he scratched his stubble with his other hand looking to Rachel.  
>'You ready to go Rach?'<br>She looked from him to Quinn and she was watching her. Rachel gave her one last look and cleared her throat.  
>'Yeah,' She smiled pretending nothing was up. 'Let's go.'<br>Noah turned into Quinn and embraced her tightly before they high fived. 'Catch you later dude, lemme know tomorrow if you need help with the carnage.' He laughed lightly.  
>She smiled then sighed. 'Catch you later broski.'<br>She turned and Rachel was standing at his side like a perfect little girlfriend. She bit back a scoff. He nudged her.  
>'I'll see you later Rachel.' She said politely.<br>Rachel nodded in return. 'Was nice to see you.'

She watched them walk away, Puck's arm extended around Rachel and the piano feeling dropped once more.

She made her way back into her dorm and shut her bedroom door away from the noise of the party. She flopped on her front down onto the bed and the mattress gave a gushing sigh. She tried to tune out the dull throb of the music – she didn't know if it was the alcohol or Rachel making her head pulse and spin. Finally, she decided to just give up and shut her eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

_**15. Half A World Away**_

She could have been anywhere. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest and her fingers curled around her bare ankles as she watched her two best friends frolicking in the Mediterranean sea. She smiled watching them splashing each other and laughing. She reached into her brown satchel and pulled out a blue embroidered journal and a black biro. She turned to the first blank page in the middle of the book, and decided to put pen to paper.

_**Day 21**_

_**July 2nd 2010 (Friday)**_

_**Nice, France**_

_I'm sitting on a beach in the South of France, and I sorta can't believe it. We've been away for nearly a month now, and everything feels a million miles away. I feel like I'm in a dream world, even though I'm just half a world away from New York, and NYU and almost everyone I know. Graduation is coming up. I don't know if I even wanna return. Return to that life where everyone expects so much of me. I've been thinking of just becoming a nomad, roaming Europe, getting lost among the nameless faces. It's probably just the nerves talking.  
>I know when I go back I'll have to see her. The thought of seeing her makes my tummy churn and convulse. Seeing that smile; hearing that irritatingly adorable giggle, bumping into her in hallways and knowing that I could see her any moment. Seeing Puckerman with his arm around her. I just don't understand what's happening to me. I'm not a jealous person, I'm not. But I don't understand the churning of my tummy like a cement mixer and the tight squeeze deep within my chest whenever I see her. I don't understand why I want to slam her into a wall while those words that I don't understand tumble out of my mouth so fast like I can't control them. I'm running to stand still, and it's all her fault.<br>I hoped this trip would clear my head and I would finally figure out what to do. I'm still hoping it'll happen. _

She shut the journal just as she saw her best friends hand in hand clamber out of the water and she stashed it back in her bag. The girls giggled as they approached and Quinn handled them their towels. They both smiled at her in thanks.  
>'Cold?' She smiled.<br>They laughed. 'It's freezing when you first get in, but after that you get used to it.'  
>'You should go in. I'll come with you if you want.' The other blonde haired girl chimed in.<br>She smiled but shook her head. 'I'm okay just sitting here I think guys.'  
>The taller of the two girls rubbed her long bronzed damp legs with her navy towel and looked at her with a concerned look. 'You okay Q…?'<br>She nodded, ignoring the stone-like feeling in her lower abdomen. 'Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking.'  
>The bronzed girl raised a brow. 'I know what you get like when you're 'thinking'. Come on, what's up?'<br>She sighed looking past them at the vast dark blue sea stretched out in front of them. 'Have you ever…' She stopped herself and shook her head, trying to shake away the thought. 'Doesn't matter.'

The two girls looked at each other then sat down either side of her. The bronzed girl to her right stretched out her legs. 'Come on,' She said softly, encouraging her. 'It does matter.'  
>She brought her forearms up and rested them on her knees, interlocking her fingers. She didn't look at either of them, just kept looking out to sea. 'Have you ever wondered, what it would be like to just…disappear…?'<br>The two girls looked at each other with worried expressions, then back to Quinn.  
>She shook her head. 'I don't mean disappearing as in <em>dying<em>. I just mean, to like, get lost. It's a big world out there. Bigger than NYU, bigger than New York. Bigger than us. Just sometimes I wonder what it would be like to get lost into the heart of it all.'

With a heavy sigh she stretched out her legs like the other two girls. The blonde haired girl listened quietly but intensely, giving sympathetic nods. The bronzed girl reached out a hand and covered Quinn's fist sitting in her lap. Her dark eyes sparkled. 'You'll get out there.' She smiled. 'You're gonna go far Quinn. I just know it.'  
>They all looked at each other. Quinn smiled. 'Hey, where d'you think we're all gonna be, 10 years from now?' They all made a humming noise thinking.<br>Quinn chuckled and looked back to the bronzed girl. 'You're gonna be the one with the high-paying job and the football playing husband, named something hyper-masculine like Brandon, with the two adorable kids in the rich modern house.'  
>She grinned. 'He sounds hot…you better stay away from my husband!' She laughed playfully shoving Quinn. They all laughed and Quinn turned to the other blonde.<br>'And you…' She slipped her arm around the back of her shoulders and pulled her into a squeeze. She scrunched up her face in a pause, thinking. '…You're gonna live somewhere out there.' She looked out to the sea and tilted her head, imagining. 'You'll live somewhere like…' Her forefinger tapped her chin. '…New Zealand.' She nodded. 'You'll live in New Zealand; you'll have a cute little cottage with your little husband Drew, with a cat and you'll have your first kid on the way.' She nodded, happy with her little prediction.  
>They both looked at her. The blonde haired girl nudged her with an elbow. 'And where will you be in 10 years…?'<br>She kept looking out to the horizon. 'Honestly?' She shrugged. 'I have no idea…'  
>She didn't bother to tell them the rest of what she was thinking. They just laughed and played around until the sun began to set, and she didn't feel so heavy.<p> 


	16. Chapter 16

_**16. We Are Young**_

She yanked her wrist in front of her, pulling her along behind her. '_Come on_! We're gonna be late!' She squealed.  
>Quinn rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself. She'd never seen anyone get so worked up about fireworks before.<br>They ran through the crowd entering Central Park, dodging umbrellas and buggies, Rachel with a surprisingly tight grip on Quinn's left wrist. The blonde looked to her right and saw a break in the barriers.

'Hey Rach, over here!' She tried to shout over the noise of the milling crowd but the small brunette just kept dragging her, obviously oblivious. '_Rachel_!' She tried louder, trying to pull back against her. No reaction. She gathered some strength and yanked back hard from Rachel's grip. Finally she realised and turned to look at Quinn with a confused expression.  
>She smiled and nodded her head. 'C'mere, I found a spot.'<br>Rachel was trying to look past the crowd to see where Quinn was talking about, when she seized her hand in her grip, their soft skin squeezing tightly together and she was pulled forward.

They dodged a crowd of what looked like drunken teenagers, and some parents with a whole brood of small kids in shorts and spotty summer dresses. Quinn pulled her forward next to her to show her. Their arms brushed together side by side and Quinn tried to ignore the flicker of electricity that prickled her skin and shook her head, luckily without Rachel noticing. She stepped forward and slipped between a gap in between two of the makeshift blue barriers designed to control the crowd. She cocked her head towards Rachel.  
>'What are you <em>doing?<em> You can't be behind there! Come back here…' She squeaked.  
>She raised a cocky blonde eyebrow. 'You chicken…?'<br>Rachel looked around her uneasy, looking out for any Central Park cops. While she was distracted, she felt a sharp pull and she was thrown forward and when she focused again, she somehow found herself on the wrong side of the blue barriers. She shook her head adamantly. '_We can't be on this side Quinn!_ What are you _thinking?_' She hissed.  
>Quinn looked to their right and smiled. 'I'm thinking…'<br>Before she could ask what was going on, she found herself flying forwards trailing after the blonde running full steam ahead trying not to let her shoulder slip out its socket. Quinn came to an abrupt stop, and lightly put her hands on Rachel's hips. Whirling her around, she pushed her forward and the stunned brunette realised where they were.

She looked up high above them, seeing little white sparkling holes littering the sky. Her grin spread, taking over her little face. She sighed lightly looking all around them.  
>'I can't believe we're actually here…' She gasped in amazement. She turned and Quinn was watching her amused.<br>'You're such a pussy…' She chuckled.  
>'I am <em>not<em>!' She huffed.  
>'I got our asses out of that crowd so we could be up here. If we stuck around there and didn't bend the rules a <em>little <em>bit then we would still be stuck back there and you probably wouldn't see any of…'  
>And then a boom. A loud fizzing crackling <em>boom<em>.

They looked into the sky and Rachel gripped Quinn's hand in excitement.  
>'It's started!' She squealed. 'They're here!' She hopped from foot to foot gasping.<br>Hazel eyes looked from the sky, to Rachel and back to the sky and laughed shaking her head. She looked behind them at the rest of the crowd. The kids on their parents shoulders, the couples with their arms around each other, the drunken groups of friends cheering every time a firework of red, white and blue burst into the sky.

She closed her eyes and just listened as the cheers got louder everytime a firework appeared, as the sounds crept up her back, rolling over shoulders and cascaded down her front – gripping her whole body. And then she snapped awake. Where were Puck and the rest of the guys?  
>She flicked Rachel. 'Have you seen the guys?'<br>She absent-mindedly shrugged but said nothing.  
>'Has Puck not called you recently?'<br>She shook her head; her waved dark brown hair swaying around her. 'Nope.'  
>Quinn groaned slightly and dug into her pocket for her cell. No missed calls. Fantastic. She scrolled through her phonebook and decided to call Puck. Maybe they were around and just got lost in the crowd.<p>

'Puck? Hey, it's me…where you at?'  
>'<em>Quinn…?<em>'  
>'Yeah, it's me. We're in Central Park, where you at?'<br>'_What…? Where…?_'  
>'Central Park.' She tried to speak over the noise of the whoops and bangs.<br>'_I can't...Q…?_' A crackle sounded and then the call cut off.  
>She looked at her home screen and rolled her eyes. 'You gotta be kiddin' me…'<br>She shifted by Rachel's small ear so she could hear her. 'I can't get the guys…'  
>She shrugged not moving her eyes. 'We can find them later.' She said faintly, too distracted by the fireworks. Honestly she was like a puppy on e-numbers. Quinn decided to give up, and turned her attention back to the fireworks show going crazy above them.<p>

The bangs seemed to get bigger and louder, and the cheers from the crowds seemed to echo around the whole park shaking the trees and playing amongst the leaves. Quinn heard Rachel give a throaty giggle, and she looked across at the wonder spread across her tanned face. She reached out her hand hesitantly as the bangs continued to get louder, and seemingly closer together. She shook her head.  
>'Fuck it.' She whispered and reached out her fingertips and tickled Rachel's left palm.<br>Rachel half turned her body to face Quinn. 'Did yo…'  
>Before she could finish her sentence, Quinn's right hand reached out and grabbed the back of Rachel's neck and pulled her in.<br>She closed her eyes and let everything else take over.

As their lips touched the taste of something she could identify as blackcurrant invaded her mouth and soft delicate skin slid against hers. She saw coloured shadows as she heard the loudest crackles, fizzes, wails and a ground shaking final _boom_. She clutched onto Rachel's forearm twisting her head more towards the right and nipped at Rachel's bottom lip. She hissed at the sharp pain throbbing at her lip and Quinn soothed it, tracing it with the very tip of her tongue. Rachel got her own back by lightly scraping her teeth against the end of Quinn's tongue, and after that everything turned slightly hazy. The girls silently moaned into each other pressing their bodies tightly together. Quinn ran her hand up Rachel's back and into her hair as she pushed further into her mouth.  
>Needing air, Rachel pulled back and smiled with heavy eyes. 'Happy July 4th…'<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

_**17. Born To Die**_

She slipped her aviator sunglasses down her forehead to over her eyes. The heavy orange sun was hanging low in the sky, beginning to set and she shut the trunk with a heavy thud. She sat in the driver's seat and started the engine with a spluttering cough. As soon as the engine started, the CD player chimed in, and she recognised the opening chord straight away.

She pressed down on the gas pulling away from the kerb and just couldn't shake her crying face from her head. The haunting female voice came trickling out of the speakers by her legs.

_Don't make me sad, don't make me cry  
>Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough<br>I don't know why  
>Keep making me laugh.<br>Let's go get high,  
>The road is long, we carry on<br>Try to have fun in the meantime._

She felt the pounding of little balled up fists on her chest, holding her close. She could almost feel the wet patches on her tank top again, a dull aching pain still gripping her heart as she pressed down harder on the gas.

_Come and take a walk on the wild side  
>Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain<br>You like your girls insane  
>Choose your last words,<br>This is the last time  
>Cause you and I<br>We were born to die_

* * *

><p>She dug her perfectly manicured feet into the side of her leg and squealed. '<em>What are you doing?<em>' She shrieked.  
>Quinn simply laughed and pressed harder down on the gas, watching the speedometer slowly creep up higher and higher.<br>'Q slow _down_!'

She looked across at Rachel smiling, her mouth open, dark hair splayed out behind her weaving in the wind as they drove. The feeling of the wind in their faces and in their hair took their breath away. Quinn had one hand loosely wrapped around the large black steering wheel, feeling the wind intertwining within her fingers, as if it were gripping onto her hand. She threw the car around the bends in the road, the dust and dirt spraying out from underneath the thick black tyres with a grinding noise. Quinn could see Rachel's seductively dark hair whip around her face from the corner of her eye. She gripped with her right hand just above the glove box on the dashboard, while her left hand attempted to sweep her bangs out of her dark eyes.  
>Quinn looked over and laughed at her nervousness. 'Baby, <em>chill<em>!'  
>Rachel looked over at Quinn, seeing that her eyes weren't on the road. 'Quinn watch the road!' She squealed; her voice carried off in the wind around them.<p>

The blonde switched hands resting her left hand atop the wheel, while reaching towards Rachel and gripped her jaw, pulling her in for a kiss. It took a moment for Rachel to finally give in, and their tongues darted out to swipe at each other before the brunette pressed a small foot into Quinn's abdomen and pushed her back towards the wheel and pointed towards the track in front of them. 'Unless you wanna kill us both, you need to watch where you're going!'  
>Quinn smirked turning her attention back to the road, carrying on their journey.<p>

Eventually she pulled them into a clearing, the car skidding to a stop. Rachel swung the door open and slammed it shut again after getting out huffing.  
>'You could have <em>killed us<em> Quinn!' She cried.  
>Quinn smirked and got out of the car walking round to lean against the hood. The indignant diva turned and saw her smirking to herself. Huffing sharply, he walked over and slapped her in the face.<br>'I'm glad you find it so fucking amusing!' She huffed, fists balled at her sides.  
>Quinn bucked up from the hood stunned, holding her face. 'What the fuck was that for?'<br>'I told you to slow down!'  
>She laughed rubbing the sting away. 'Baby, you need to chill out…'<br>She span around hearing Quinn's laugh. 'Don't _fucking_ tell me to _chill out_ Q! This is all _your_ fault!' She spat.  
>She sighed. 'Baby, look we're fine, nothing happened.'<br>The small girl closed her eyes, holding and shaking her head. She faced out towards the now dark ocean and didn't reply. Quinn went back to the car and opened the passenger door, bending down flipping the glove box open with her thumb with a _pop_. Rachel turned seeing her fiddle. 'Well don't leave without me!' She started forward and the tall blonde turned to look at her, shutting the door again.  
>She walked over to her. 'I'm not going anywhere silly. C'mere, cup your hands.'<br>She watched her confused but followed Quinn's instructions.

She brought her small hands up between their chests and cupped her hands. Quinn flipped open the small flat bronze tin she was holding in her right hand. She lowered her mouth and withdrew a long white wrapped tube between her lips. She tucked the tin into her back pocket and brought up the red lighter in her left hand to just below Rachel's cupped hands. She lit the tube in her mouth from within tanned hands and brought it back up to between their faces. She took a heavy drag before offering it to Rachel with a dark smirk.

Rachel's eyes went wide. '_Quinn Fabray_!' She scolded. 'You don't _honestly_ expect me to smoke that do you? What about my precious voice?' She squealed. 'It takes a _lot_ of care to look after a voice such as mine and a _rigorous_ training program. Inhaling those _toxic horrible fumes_ would be _extremely_ detrimental to my voice never mind my health…and yours for that matter! Do I need to show you my PowerPoint again about the harms of smoking Quinn?' The blonde chuckled rolling her eyes. She dragged on it once more before holding it out to Rachel once more.  
>'Just one drag. You're always talking about how you want to cross things off that stupid bucket list of yours…'<br>'Hey!' The short girl stamped her foot against the dirt. 'It is _not_ stupid! It is _motivational_!'  
>'Same thing.' The blonde grumbled. She thrust the white tube at the diva. 'Here, for god's sake just one drag.'<p>

The blonde gave her a sweet smile making the brunette huff and take it. She inhaled against it before tipping her head back with closed eyes, exposing the column of her neck and blew a steady stream of translucent smoke up into the warm summer night air. Quinn moved forward, closing the gap between them while Rachel was distracted and took skin between her teeth and lightly pulled. Rachel gasped lowering the thin tube between her fingers.

She lowered her chin and Quinn took her lips against her own. She slid her hands down over Rachel's hips and turned them both, walking back to the hood of the car. She moved her right hand down the back of Rachel's silky thigh and gripped the back of her knee and lifted. Supporting her back she lowered Rachel down onto the hood of the black Camaro.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter 18: You Make My Dreams Come True **_

She rolled over, rubbing her palm over the sheets on the left side of the bed. When she realised she only felt crumpled sheets, she opened her eyes slowly to yes, find an empty bed, and an empty room. She rolled over onto the left side of the bed and peered over at the clock on Rachel's nightstand._**  
>11.30<strong>_  
>She groaned to herself remembering the brunette had classes all day on a Monday. She sat up rubbing the heel of her right palm over her eye waking herself up. She slipped on her grey knee socks and took off toward the kitchen.<p>

She fixed herself a bowl of Lucky Charms, she was sure Rachel wouldn't mind – she bought enough of the stuff anyway! She stood by the sink looking into the small living room. The place really was a tip, even she knew that and she wasn't exactly tidy. As she spooned more and more of the sugary infusion into her mouth while she hummed, an idea hit her. She washed her white ceramic bowl in the sink and then crossed over into the living room, her socks skidding across the light wooden floor. She spotted Rachel's stereo and thank Christ she'd accidentally left her iPod in the attached dock instead of taking it with her to class like she normally did.

She thumbed through countless Broadway artists – typically Rachel, Disney Soundtracks and rolled her eyes as she kept skimming all sorts of Musical Soundtracks. Finally she came across one artist she actually recognised, and clicking on it, Quinn found that she had the one song that screamed Rachel. A smile spread wide across her face as she heard the opening chords chirp.

She let her feet slide across the floor as she began to clean up the carnage scattered around the diva's living room and she began to dance as the music swept her up in the flow. She swept the towel from the kitchen she was dangling between her fingers over her shoulder and picked up a random pen from the table beside the couch. She began to mime along to the upbeat words, using the pen as a microphone while twisting herself around the floor.

* * *

><p>Rachel jogged up the steps to the building, smiling to herself that her afternoon classes had been cancelled meaning she had the rest of the day to cuddle with Quinn. Even though Quinn wouldn't admit it, Rachel knew she loved it too. She entered the building and took the stairs to her dorm two at a time, she just wanted to get back into bed and forget that she ever left. It was when she got to the second floor; she heard some odd noises coming from the third floor – her floor. Thinking the worst, she took off up her final flight of stairs, hurrying towards her dorm. It was when she was just outside her door, she realised what the noise was. It wasn't noise at all. She slid her silver key into the lock and turned the doorknob, and as she got inside the noises got louder.<p>

She had to cover her mouth to muffle the instant squeaking giggle that bubbled from her throat at the sight that greeted her. She found Quinn in one of her stupid football jerseys, boy pants and long grey knee socks doing the moonwalk down the hall between the kitchen and living room along to…_Hall and Oates_…?

* * *

><p>She was totally oblivious to the fact that Rachel was standing in the doorway watching her. She whirled halfway around as Rachel watched her mime into…a pen? She stifled a giggle as Quinn serenaded her Idina Menzel and <em>Spring Awakening<em> posters plastered against the wall, giving them one hell of a show and occasionally doing the twist.

_Twist and shout my way out  
>And wrap yourself around me<br>'Cause I ain't the way you found me  
>And I'll never be the same oh yeah<br>Well 'cause you  
>hmmm hmm you make my dreams come true<em>

_(you you you you) oh yeah  
>Well well well you (ooh ooh ooh ooh)<br>ooh you make my dreams come true  
>(you you you you) oh yeah<em>

Rachel snorted a little too loudly and Quinn froze in an…odd position. Holding her position, she turned her head to see brown eyes watering as she laughed holding her quivering tummy with her other hand clasped over her mouth. Pale cheeks immediately flushed and her shoulders sagged as she lowered her head in pure embarrassment, just waiting for the ground to open beneath her and swallow her up.

She turned back around and walked over to Rachel's iPod and clicked _stop_. The brunette walked forward and laced her fingers within Quinn's. She looked back sheepishly and Rachel just smiled. She leaned forward and kissed the tip of Quinn's nose and chuckled thinking about how ridiculous she looked. 'I love you.' She lightly chuckled shaking her head, her dark hair swaying around her face.  
>The blonde bristled. 'What?'<br>She looked at her. 'I said I love you...'  
>Her eyes widened. 'No!'<br>Rachel looked at her puzzled. When she envisaged telling Quinn that she loved her, she didn't picture her saying _no_...?  
>Quinn covered her eyes with both hands in despair. Rachel looked at her as if she had two heads. 'Did I say something wrong...?'<br>'No no! Take it back!'  
>'Take what back?'<br>'What you just said!'  
>'Okay...I take it back...?'<br>The blonde suddenly grinned, self-satisfied. Brown eyes wondered if she'd slipped and hit her head while she was out at class. She scoffed. 'You're so weird.'  
>Quinn smiled and pecked the brunette on the lips. 'You're welcome.' She hummed.<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey guys, so this chapter is kinda short but it's designed to set up what comes next...Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19: Never Be A Right Time<strong>

She sat in the giant purple armchair by the window, the gentle guitar chords oozing from the record player across the room. She toyed with her cellphone, illuminating the screen every few minutes impatiently. No messages.

She heard squeaking footsteps against the dark wooden floor, and turned her attention towards the doorway hopefully. She saw the tall figure in the doorway and breathed a silent sigh of relief. He slid off his gold wire rimmed aviator sunglasses walking toward her and revealed that boyish grin.

'Sorry I'm late.' He took off his grey Yankees cap, revealing cherub blonde hair and ran his hand quickly through it. 'I wasn't expecting you back so soon.'  
>She stood and they greeted each other with a hug. 'Yeah, me neither.' She replied quietly.<p>

He took a seat in the matching armchair opposite her and looked at her concerned. 'So, what happened?'

* * *

><p><em><strong>12 hours before<strong>_

She used the heels of her palms to push herself off the lip of the sink. 'Don't say that…'  
>'I haven't seen you in years, or even heard from you for that matter. Not even so much as a phonecall from you. We live in completely different worlds now Quinn. Of course you're a stranger to me now.'<br>'But we don't _have_ to live in different worlds Rach.' She contested.  
>'<em>Yes we do<em> Quinn. You're in New York, and I have to be here.'  
>'I don't <em>have<em> to be in New York…'  
>She shook her head looking down. 'Don't make this any harder than it already is Quinn.'<br>'I'm not trying to; I'm trying to make it easier. I'm trying to fight for you, for _us_. Can't you see that?'  
>She folded her arms. 'I need you to leave.'<br>The blonde saw glimmering tears in those big brown eyes. 'Don't you wanna fight for us?'  
>She finally looked at the taller blonde. 'There's nothing left to fight for.'<p>

Something inside Quinn switched to auto-pilot. She took a step forward enveloping Rachel's jaw between her two pale hands, and before the brunette could protest, she brought their lips together softly. Eyes drifted shut, and slow tears fell from brown and hazel eyes, running down over the swell of their cheeks, melting together allowing them to finally be one after so long.  
>Quinn pulled back. 'If that's not reason alone to fight for, then I don't know what is.'<p>

When brown eyes opened, Quinn was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

><p>'So you just left it like that?'<br>She shrugged. 'I couldn't think of anything else to do. She knows where to reach me if she changes her mind.'  
>Sam smiled to himself. 'You never know, you might see her again.'<br>She shrugged again. 'I don't know. I don't think so.'  
>He reached into his leather jacket pocket and brought out a cream envelope. 'That reminds me…'<br>He handed her the envelope, with a confused look from Quinn. She turned over the envelope and saw a mid-blue ribbon down the side. Black calligraphy writing marked the front.

_Ms Quinn Fabray_

She turned it back over and began to open it, sliding her thumb under the seal.

'I didn't know your address, so I figured I'd just give it to you when I saw you. I know it's a bit short notice, so don't worry if you can't make it.'  
>She slid the white and blue card from its wrapping.<p>

_Dear Ms Quinn Fabray, _

_You are cordially invited to the wedding of_

_Mr Samuel Bradley Evans_

_And_

_Miss Romy Beth Baker_

_On _

_Thursday October 8th 2015 _

_The nuptials will be held in Central Park with the reception at Tavern on the Green. _

A confused smile grew across her face and she looked up at Sam. 'You want me at your wedding?'  
>He laughed. 'There'd be no wedding without you!'<br>She genuinely grinned and hugged him tightly. 'Thank you Sam, really.' She whispered up to his ear.  
>He felt her fragile heart beat slowly against his chest. 'No, thank <em>you<em> Quinn, really.' He responded squeezing her lightly.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry it's been so long since the last update, life has kinda gotten in the way a bit. But here's your next installment - just a note, I do know that Tavern on the Green in Central Park is no longer a restaurant (but we can pretend that is still is for a bit) Just to warn you, this chapter does jump around a lot between flashbacks and their present but I've tried to make that clear. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20: Sweet Disposition<strong>

The sun did its best to keep the chill away from that day. The bride shivered lightly in her beautiful floor length ivory gown, but refused to give into the cool October breeze that occasionally swept through the park.

Light brown and amber leaves crinkled and swept underfoot as Quinn and Santana held onto each other as they made their way over to the gathering congregation situated on the grass.  
>Goosebumps caressed Santana's skin. 'You'd think in October they'd think about having an indoor wedding…' She mumbled.<br>Quinn elbowed her with a chuckle. 'It's perfect just as it is.'  
>'How do you know them again…?'<br>Quinn smiled. 'The groom and I met that day the subway bomb went off. He saved my life and took care of me.'  
>'He's <em>that<em> guy?'  
>Quinn laughed at her reaction. 'Yeah.' She spotted him through a gap in the crowd and pointed him out to her. 'That's him.'<br>Santana gawped. 'Dude is _hot_.'  
>She shook her head smiling while keeping her walking. 'Come on.'<p>

They slipped in among the congregation, Sam spotting Quinn after a few moments. He pushed the palm of his hand against the small of Romy's back and whispered in her ear. 'Come meet a friend of mine.'

Quinn turned her head to be met with Sam's smile and his auburn-haired bride.  
>'Hey Quinn!' He beamed. 'Thanks for coming…'<br>She beamed back. 'I wouldn't miss it for the world.'  
>'Quinn, meet Romy…' Her eyes drifted over to an auburn haired beauty with sparkling green eyes. He lightly kissed her cheek. 'Baby, meet my friend Quinn.'<br>The two women shook hands politely and smiled at each other.  
>'It's nice to finally meet you Quinn.'<br>Quinn smiled as genuinely as she could. 'You too.'  
>Santana cleared her throat with a cough and the blonde rolled her eyes at her lack of subtlety. 'Sam, this is my friend Santana…' She gestured towards her. 'San, this is Sam…'<br>Sam shook her hand respectfully. 'Good to meet you Santana.'  
>Luckily she decided to behave. She smiled back. 'You too. Congratulations by the way.'<br>Sam wrapped an arm around Romy's lower back and nodded with a gracious smile. 'Thank you very much.'

As they decided to stop holding the line up, Quinn nudged Santana as they walked away. 'Thank you for behaving.'  
>Santana rolled her eyes. 'I'm a bitch Q, but I do have class.'<br>She scoffed. 'Since when?' Santana shoved her shoulder hard as Quinn laughed. They both spotted the few rows of white seats placed neatly on the grass under a patch of trees. 'Come on, people are starting to get their seats…'

The congregation was small, and the ceremony was beautiful. White rose petals mixed with amber coloured autumn leaves lining the path that Sam walked down first. Dressed in a black suit with a creamy yellow tie, he walked calmly down the impromptu aisle and kissed his mother's cheek respectfully, earning a tearful smile and a handshake from his father and a clap on the shoulder blade before he took his spot by the vicar.

Romy looked just as beautiful. In a floor-length strapless gown, she floated down the aisle, followed by two unknown bridesmaids dressed in matching creamy yellow dresses. Romy held a small bouquet of a few white and yellow roses held together by a thin white ribbon. Her auburn hair was pinned back by bobby pins decorated with white roses. Quinn smiled to herself. There's a theme here, she mused watching the bride glide down the aisle toward her groom. While everyone was still staring at Romy, Quinn turned to watch Sam. He hadn't turned around to watch her walk down the aisle toward him, just patiently waited to see her.

And when he finally saw her, his reaction caught the breath in the back of Quinn's throat. He grinned at his bride by his side, and Quinn could have swore she saw him mouth 'you look beautiful' at her. A warm sensation filled her stomach, knowing she was about to witness Sam finding his happy ending.

* * *

><p>Her mind couldn't help but wander. She couldn't help thinking about when she was with Rachel and Kurt talking about marriage. Fun. echoed softly from the laptop speakers beside Kurt at the bottom of the bed.<br>'Oh no, I definitely know what I want,' Kurt said confidently. 'Blaine will just have to go along with it!'  
>Quinn smiled. 'So he doesn't get a say?'<br>Kurt scoffed. 'Who has the better taste out of me and Blaine?'  
>Kurt had a point. Quinn chuckled. 'I see what you mean.' She shrugged. 'I don't think I wanna get married.'<br>Rachel looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. 'Ever?' her voice raised in pitch a little.  
>She shrugged again with a slight nod. 'I guess I just never imagined it for myself. Y'know how every little girl is supposed to imagine their wedding day? I know what my funeral is gonna be like.'<br>Kurt guffawed. 'That's a little morbid Q!'  
>She chuckled. 'I guess it's just more realistic to me.'<br>'Remind me why we're friends again?'  
>Quinn simply giggled while Rachel sleepily cuddled into her arm.<p>

* * *

><p>Quinn would have thought she was hallucinating if Santana hadn't seen it too.<br>Santana attempted to demolish a slice of cake the size of her fist unsuccessfully, when she spotted what rendered the blonde next to her speechless. She raised her almost black eyes in the direction of the familiar sound.

Quinn sat at the round white table next to her best friend, clutching her silver fork as those haunting notes began to leak through her senses. Those notes that haunted her dreams and still sent a chill creeping down her spine. She slowly turned in her gold chair to face her suspicions.

Little white daisies formed a crown to sit atop her long curled brunette hair, her bangs swept to the side, revealing those sparkling deep brown eyes. The fingertips of her right hand brushed against the black microphone as those hushed notes flowed from her throat.

_A moment, a love, a dream, a laugh  
>A kiss, a cry, our rights, our wrongs,<br>_  
>Quinn felt a hard familiar lump rise up to her chest.<p>

_So stay there,  
>Cause I'll be coming over<br>And while our blood's still young  
>It's so young it runs<br>We won't stop till its over  
>We won't stop to surrender<br>_  
>Quinn could swear that Rachel was looking straight into her soul. Santana prized the fork out of her grip, she didn't even realise she was still holding onto it. She could feel Santana's dark eyes watching her but she couldn't for the life of her peel her eyes away from the raised stage across the dancefloor. Her pale yellow dress floated swayed around her feet every time she moved, as though she was floating. Quinn thought she looked like an angel. Even on her 'bad' days, Quinn always thought she looked like an angel. She knew she should have been watching the happy couple in the centre of the dancefloor, just like everyone else, but she couldn't help herself. Call her a masochist, but she was too busy immersing herself in every glimpse she could steal of the brunette.<p>

It seemed like Santana couldn't help herself either.  
>'Oh my god Q, this is <em>amazing<em>...' she groaned through a mouthful of sponge cake with raspberry and white chocolate icing, trying not to spray rogue crumbs everywhere. Quinn peered down at the handful of cake that appeared under her chin. 'Here try some...' Santana mumbled through full hamster cheeks.  
>Quinn attempted a chuckle. 'You've never looked more attractive San...'<br>Santana wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and swallowed the remaining cake in her mouth. 'Sorry Q but this has all been reserved for another blonde.'  
>Quinn clicked her tongue with an exaggerated sigh. 'Damn it. Missed my chance.' She toyed with the glass tumbler within her fingertips. 'Want another drink?'<br>Santana simply shook her head, instead of risking another crumb shower. Quinn rolled her eyes and chuckled rising out of her seat. _Santana and her damn cake_.

* * *

><p>Quinn leaned heavily against the bar, trying to block out the angelic voice just metres in front of her from her mind. More guests had gathered on the dancefloor, when she felt a hand graze the bottom of her back. She rolled her eyes again; she was definitely not in the mood to be hit on.<p>

'I'm _so_ sorry Quinn...' a familiar voice spoke carefully behind her.  
>She turned her head to see a sorry looking Sam step beside her at the bar, with his head hung low. '...About Rachel. Romy had said she knew exactly who she wanted to sing tonight, like <em>months<em> ago...A guy she works with recommended her...I just totally forgot...'  
>Quinn shook her head and gave as easy a smile as she could muster. 'No Sam, it's okay. This is your day, it shouldn't matter...she's doing a great job, and you looked like you were having fun out there. So please, don't worry about me.'<br>Blue eyes looked at her carefully. 'You sure...?'  
>She smiled a little more genuinely. 'You're sweet for asking, but honestly I'll be okay. Go have fun...'<br>Sam jumped slightly when a large hand clapped down on his shoulder. Quinn raised her eyes to an unmistakable mohawked guy wearing a dark charcoal suit and a light blue shirt. He turned to look at the taller guy and smiled looking back to Quinn.  
>'Ah, speak of the devil!' he exclaimed. 'Quinn, this is the guy Romy works with I was telling you about...'<br>_Of course, it would be Noah Puckerman of all people_. His crinkled brown eyes fell on her with a crooked smile. 'Quinn Fabray...'  
>She smiled back politely. 'Noah Puckerman...'<br>Sam crinkled his brow. 'Wait...you two know each other...?'  
>Puck squeezed his shoulder, still smiling at Quinn. 'Quinn and I are old buddies. Ain't that right Q?'<br>She smiled with a slight chuckle. 'You could say that.'  
>He turned his attention to the stage over both of their shoulders. 'How right was Romy to go with Rachel...?'<br>Sam eyed Quinn carefully before responding. 'Yeah, she's fantastic Puck.'  
>Puck chuckled. 'She's been excited for ages for this gig. She talked about it all the time.'<br>Quinn blinked in surprise. 'Really...? Has she been doing a lot of weddings...?'  
>Puck raised a brow in surprise. 'Did she not babble on about it to you constantly?'<br>Quinn lowered her eyes to the champagne flute that appeared in front of her on the wooden bar. 'Actually we haven't exactly kept in touch so much...'  
>'Oh...' he responded slowly. 'Well...no, actually. This is her first one; she's still all about Broadway - y'know how she is. I guess that's why she was so excited for this 'gig'.'<p>

* * *

><p>Yeah, Quinn knew exactly how she was. She still checked the papers for weekly reviews of Rachel on Broadway; (although she'd never admit to it) just like the brunette would insist they would do together. Quinn would have to read them out to her, simply because Rachel just couldn't <em>bare<em> to do it herself, _'just in case there was anything truly horrific in there'.  
><em>  
>The brunette stretched her legs out over Quinn's thighs, thrusting the local arts section of the paper at her as they sat together on the old couch. Quinn raised a brow in her direction.<br>'Please Quinn...?' Rachel fluttered those long dark eyelashes at the blonde. 'Don't you want to know when your girlfriend becomes critically acclaimed...?'  
>She folded her arms. 'I'm sure she'll call when she does.'<br>The brunette swatted her with the paper and dug her bare heels into thighs defined by grey yoga pants. 'Quinn!' she whined childishly.

Hazel eyes shot to brown at the brunette's action, and Quinn released a low growl. She grabbed small wrists and pinned them back, pouncing on her and crushing the paper between them in the process.  
>'How can I read the paper if you keep abusing me...?' she smiled down at the brunette, goading her.<br>Rachel tried to kick her feet out underneath the overpowering blonde, giggling. 'Please Quinn? I promise I won't hit you again...'  
>Quinn narrowed her eyes. 'Promise...?'<br>Rachel nodded quickly without saying a word. Quinn kissed the side of her tanned neck, then sat back on her side of the couch.  
>'Thanks stinky...'<br>Quinn's narrowed hazel eyes shot back to Rachel, and were met with a gleaming white smile from the brunette. Quinn rolled her eyes and picked up the crumpled paper and flicked to the desired page. She didn't even have to look at page numbers anymore.

* * *

><p>She sat back down next to Santana, champagne flute in hand. Dark eyes fell back on her. 'What did lover boy want...?'<br>Quinn pulled her chair in. 'Just a friendly chat.'  
>Santana looked back over to the bar. 'Is that...<em>Puckerman<em>?' she almost squealed.  
>Quinn nodded taking a gulp of golden liquid. 'That's the one.' she replied after swallowing harshly.<br>'What's he doing here?'  
>'He's the reason Rachel's here.'<br>'_What_?' she squealed.  
>The blonde nodded. 'Turns out he works with the bride. He recommended Rachel's talents to her for the wedding.'<br>She rolled her eyes. 'Trust Puckerman.' she sighed heavily. She looked from her light pink purse to Quinn. 'I need a smoke, you coming?'  
>Quinn shrugged with a nonchalant nod. 'I guess so.'<p>

They breezed out of the heavy oak doors, out into the cold night that had descended onto Central Park. They stood side by side against the back wall of the small restaurant while Santana lit up. Santana offered the blonde a drag but she declined.  
>'Oh come on Q...is it because Rachel's here...? She's not gonna care if you sneak a smoke anymore Quinn...'<br>Quinn shook her head adamantly, tips of her blonde hair tickling her collarbones. 'I gave up for me.'  
>Santana scoffed at that. 'You and I both know that's not true. You only quit because Rachel couldn't stand it.'<br>'She could stand it; she just worried for my health. You know how freaked she got by those documentaries on the Discovery Channel.' Quinn hit back.  
>Santana was a bitch, but she knew when to not press her blonde best friend. Angry Quinn was not someone the Latina liked to mess with. She held up her hands defensively, the smoking cigarette balancing precariously between her index and middle finger. 'Okay...'<br>Quinn sighed, slipping her hands behind her back against the wall in an attempt to keep them warm. 'Sorry...' she muttered.  
>Santana took a drag and held it in momentarily, feeling the slight burn in her chest. 'It's okay.' she exhaled.<br>Quinn pushed herself away from the feel of the rough bricks. 'I think I'm gonna head back in.' she excused herself with an affirmed nod from her best friend.

But that didn't last long. She walked around the corner, headed for the oak doors emitting inviting warmth, when the sight of a body against the wall stopped her in her tracks.

A pale stream of breath became visible in the air. The small figure stood alone, silently. Quinn was caught. _Do I just walk on past? Do I stop?_ Oh who was she kidding – she already knew what she was going to do.

'Rachel…?'

At first she didn't think Rachel heard her – she made no sign of her acknowledgement that there was anyone standing there. Slowly her head turned, and her face dropped.

'Quinn…what are you doing here…?'

'I know the groom.'

Rachel scoffed to herself. 'Of course you do.' She muttered. 'Santana's here isn't she?' she asked a little louder.

'Yeah, she's with me.'

Rachel chuckled. 'I thought I was just imagining it when I saw you both together.'

Quinn _knew_ she saw them. And then a shiver of realisation rippled through her. 'Oh no, no,' she shook her head quickly. 'We're not together _together_…that would be _weird_!'

'Oh…' a fleeting small smile appeared briefly across Rachel's mouth. So small Quinn thought she probably imagined it. 'Okay.'

'You sound amazing up there tonight. It's been so long since I've heard you sing.'

'Yeah…' Rachel smiled a little wider. 'Thanks.'

Quinn couldn't shake the feeling that it shouldn't be like this. This awkward, stunted conversation. 'I saw Puck,' she tried to continue brightly. 'He said he recommended you to Romy.'

Rachel nodded affirmatively. 'Yeah, he comes to most of my shows now.' The blonde couldn't help but feel the thinly veiled dig. _She _used to be the one at every performance by the small brunette. She just couldn't bring herself to go to them anymore. She was a masochist, but not to _that_ extent.

'Yeah, he tells me you're still living it up on Broadway.'

'A reprisal of Spring Awakening. Apparently 'no one can play Wendla like me'.' That smile that lit up the whole of Rachel's face appeared. It was always the same one every time she talked about Broadway to anyone who'd listen.

Quinn chuckled. 'Yeah I know, I keep reading about your sparkling reviews.' The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

A flash of something like realisation sparked in deep brown eyes. 'You still read my reviews…?' she asked timidly.

Well she couldn't deny it anymore, could she? Quinn shrugged. 'Sometimes.' _Liar_. 'Sometimes I see them mentioned on the front page.' _Big fat liar_.

Rachel saw straight through it. She knew her dads would call her the day that one of her reviews was mentioned on the front page of any paper they could find. They would know, they scour all the papers weekly for reviews of their little gold star. A small hitch of breath in her throat let Quinn quietly know she was busted.

Rachel asked the question she knew she shouldn't ask.

'D'you maybe wanna get a drink sometime…?'


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: The Blower's Daughter**

She knew it was a bad idea from the get-go. What was wrong with her? She felt like even more of a masochist than usual. She walked up the small steps in front of the entrance to the theatre. _Just turn around Quinn. She doesn't know you're coming anyway so it won't matter if she doesn't see you. _She tried to tell herself, but her feet just kept on walking.

She walked around the entrance but there was no one around, so she decided to continue on through a set of double black doors with a long gold bar handle, presumably leading backstage. There was no one there to stop her, so why not?

* * *

><p>She looked down a dark hallway, and saw a glow of soft yellow light, just near the bottom. She heard hushed voices, but she couldn't tell exactly who they were. She carefully made her way down the hall - who knew what kinda crazy props were hanging around down there. The props guys in the department were known for their 'sense of humour', that frankly Quinn always found pretty weird. They were geeks after all.<p>

Her hands grew clammy, her body trying to warn her that somehow she knew what was coming next - or more like _who _was coming next. She finally made it next to the white framed doorway where the soft light came leaking from. It was the back of the stage, behind that formidable giant red velvet curtain. She stayed hidden from sight, but peered in, her eyes falling on an oblivious Rachel...and Puck.

That infectious roar of laughter came spilling out of her throat like a torrent, her small hands clasped together against her chest with her head thrown back as her shoulders shook uncontrollably. Hazel eyes watched quietly as Puck made the little brunette giggle in delight and amusement, making a fool of himself in another cast member's wig dancing with a mop. Quinn loved this side of Puck, the side he hardly let anyone see. She chuckled to herself, but made sure that they wouldn't hear her. She simply kept watching him twirl her around, both in their element.

That was until they stopped twirling. Slightly dizzy she swayed to one side, but his strong arm was there to catch her. He looked down to her smiling, and her eyes flicked down to his mouth, and then back up to his eyes. Quinn felt a niggling pain deep within her chest, almost like a stitch every time she took a breath. Her breathing became shallow, like she had ran a marathon as she watched Rachel lean her weight forward onto her toes. She knew what was coming next, but like an inevitable car crash, she couldn't help but watch. The brunette's eyes fluttered shut as she leaned her whole body upwards. Puck wrapped his strong but gentle arms around her upper arms to her delicate shoulder blades and leaned his face down. His eyes shut, just like hers, and their lips collided.

The breath in Quinn's throat hitched, and she let the Tupperware box she had been holding clatter to the ground, in a split second when her brain refused to work. _Shit. _She mentally cursed herself. Her eyes snapped up to Puck and Rachel, who was now clinging onto him.

'Hello...?' Puck walked forwards towards the darkness where Quinn was lurking. Then she realised, _she was lurking in the shadows. _Like some sorta does that? She snatched the plastic box from the wooden floorboards and quickly walked out of the shadows, as if she hadn't been there longer than she could count.

* * *

><p>The vibrating buzz of her cellphone in her cardigan pocket shook her from her daydream.<p>

**From: Rachel **

_Sorry I'm just backstage finishing up, we finished a little late. It's quiet so just come through._

_Huh, _she sighed. _Still no kiss. _She shrugged off the niggling feeling of disappointment settling over her, and made her way backstage, pulling back the same black door, with the same gold bar handle.

She emerged from the same shaded wings, and the brunette gave her a white toothy smile.

'Hey.' that smooth voice still wrecked through Quinn. 'Sorry, we overran a bit.'

Quinn shrugged with a smile. 'Don't worry bout it.'

Rachel bent over and leaned down, the hem of her white tee riding up slightly, giving Quinn a glimpse of those dimples at the base of the brunette's back that she used to love running her tongue and mouth over. Not to mention that ass that was as perfect as ever. Quinn gave a heavy sigh.

Rachel grabbed her bag then turned to face the blonde with a small smile. 'Ready to go?'

Three small words that said so little, but said so much.

* * *

><p>She shook her head, her brain felt as if it were swimming in her skull. <em>Stop thinking Quinn, just do it! <em>Small tanned fingers interlocked at the back of her head, pulling their faces together. Lips glided together. Fingers brushed familiar skin. Pale fingers tangled in long dark locks. Short nails grazed down a tanned back as pale pink lips massaged a smooth neck.

Goosebumps travelled over Rachel's forearms and she felt shivers like pins and needles weigh down her legs. Both girls felt the alcohol snaking through their veins with a dull ringing buzzing in their ears, as if someone was trying to say something to them but they couldn't hear.

The mattress gave a small sigh as Rachel collapsed backwards as pale hands caressed over her ribs. Rachel adjusted herself over the sheets up towards the headboard as Quinn crawled up over her. Small tanned fingers threaded through choppy blonde hair as a pointed tongue smoothed over exposed collarbones.

'_Quinn...' _a husky voice moaned. '_Quinn...w-wait...'_

The blonde pulled back to look at the brunette lying in front of her, skin glinting with a light sheen of perspiration. Her bangs swept to the side, hair laid out over the pillow. Quinn had to hold herself back from touching the brunette.

She rocked back onto her knees as Rachel pulled herself up, chest heaving. 'We shouldn't do this...'

Quinn wouldn't have known she was serious if she hadn't looked up. She felt her chest burning, restoring oxygen to her system as deep brown eyes stared hard into her own.

'I'm sorry Quinn. But we can't. Not now.'

Quinn stood pulling on her shirt, her fingers lightly trembling as she fastened the buttons. She nodded. 'Okay.' she simply responded.

'Quinn...' Rachel sat up properly, sliding her feet to the floor. 'I...'

She reached for the door handle. 'No Rach, I get it...'

She left Rachel sitting on the bed as she left the apartment. She made it out of the front door of the building before she heard her phone begin to ring in her jeans pocket. She thought about not even checking it, but before her brain could kick in she found herself answering.

'Puck...?' her voice came out sounding shaky and weird.

'_Quinn...? Are you okay? You sound weird.' _

She nodded, trying to shake the cloud of alcohol from her head. 'I'm fine.'

The line was quiet from a few seconds. _'Have you been drinking? Your voice is shaky.'_

'No...' she answered carefully.

He laughed. _'You're such a liar!' _

She made a groaning noise. 'Okay maybe a little.'

_'You're talking to Señor Puckerone. I know a drunk chick when I hear one.' _

She found herself smiling a little. 'You suck Noah.'

_'Sometimes...' _he lowered his voice.

'Puck!' she groaned. 'I gotta go.'

He chuckled. _'Aight, call me later...'_

She stepped off the sidewalk onto the crossing. Footsteps tap along the asphalt.

A clatter.

_'Quinn...?'_


	22. Chapter 22

_**22. Speeding Cars**_

The glass door slammed against the wall, shaking the top pane. A tall man wearing an old grease-stained grey t-shirt and ripped jeans came striding through the door. His face was puffy and red, his eyes bloodshot and sunken. He pulled on the tips of his black mohawk with his fingertips. A well-hidden nervous tick...until now.

He saw a nurse in light blue scrubs come toward him.

'Where is she?' he yelled.

The nurse stopped in front of him. 'I'm sorry? Who are you looking for sir?'

'Quinn...' he shifted impatiently. 'Quinn, where's Quinn?'

The nurse looked at him for a second in confusion. A light of recognition sparked. 'Quinn Fabray? Pale skin, blonde hair, hazel eyes...?'

He nodded quickly. 'Where is she?'

She gestured to the waiting room. 'Please wait in the waiting area, she's been taken into surgery...'

'S-Surgery?' he spluttered interrupting her.

'Yes sir, the doctors are with her now. I'm afraid I don't have any further information with you at this point, but I will keep you informed.'

'I-Is she gonna be okay?' he stuttered.

She looked down at the shiny grey floor then back up to meet his worried eyes. 'I'm afraid I can't say at this point.'

His fist clenched. The dull ache deep within his chest intensified, making it difficult for him to breath. 'Please...' he barely whispered through his dry throat. 'Please, just take care of her...'

* * *

><p><em>Beep. Beep. Beep.<em>

'10 blade.'

_Beep. Beep._

'Suction.'

_Beep._

'She's bleeding out, I can hardly see a thing. Hang another bag.'

_Beep._

'Clamp.'

_Beep._

'Get more suction in here!'

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

'Somebody page Armstrong _quickly_.'

An intern scuttled off to find a phone.

_Beep. Beep-beep. Beep-beep beep-beep._

'Reynolds, press against that laceration, I'm gonna try to suction around the wound so we can see what we're doing in here...'

_Beep. Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep._

Eyes fall on the small black screen.

_Beep._

A thin red continuous line appears.

'She's crashing. Charge the paddles to 200.'

'Clear!'

* * *

><p>A small brunette breezed through the white double doors. She looked around frantically until her wide worried eyes fell on Puck. He stared at her through the glass for a second, as if trying to recognise her.<p>

He jumped to his heavy feet, hurrying over to her.

'Noah!' Rachel breathed a sigh of relief. 'How is she?'

She clung tightly to his bare forearms as he wrapped his large hands around her elbows supporting her weak weight. 'I don't know Rach...'

Her brow crinkled. 'What d'you mean you don't know? W-where is she?'

'Last I heard, she was in surgery, and that was about an hour ago...'

Her breath hitched and her body twitched as if she'd been winded. Tears sprang to her eyes, clouding her vision. She turned in his arms.

'I have to go...' she muttered shaking her head 'I have to see her. I have to see her...'

She went to walk but Puck held her back. Her small elbow collided with his abdomen but he held her shoulders under his palms. 'They're taking care of her Rach...just let them do it.'

'I have to know what's happening!' she whined.

'They'll tell us when there's something to tell.'

She collapsed back into his arms, burying her face into his chest, trying to breathe in his comforting warmth. '_I need to know she's gonna be okay Noah...'_

He wrapped his arms fully around her, embracing her. He gently rested his jaw on the top of her head, gently rocking her. 'Me too Rach...' he sighed heavily. 'Me too.' He closely watched the door the nurse had disappeared through.

* * *

><p>'Hang another unit, she's losing it too fast.'<p>

_B-Beep. Beep._

'Pressure's dropping.'

'We don't want her crashing again. Push two of epi.'

A tall red headed doctor peered into her chest cavity. 'What even happened?'

The older surgeon with black rimmed glasses opposite her shook his head as he directed the suction tube into Quinn's open chest. 'Some jackass in a hit and run on a crossing. Apparently he was drunk. She was talking on her cellphone - totally didn't see him coming.'

_Beep. B-Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

'Pressure's evening out. 115 over 75 and rising.'

The older surgeon eyed the electronic screen skeptically with a nod. 'We don't want it higher until she stabilises.'

* * *

><p>Her fingertips toyed with the crumpled end of the tissue balled up in her small fist. '...And I stopped her. Before I had a chance to really talk to her about it, she'd disappeared out the door. She j-she just...left...just like that...and <em>I let her <em>Noah. _I let her go..._and now look what happened!' she choked out a sob and he rocked her in his lap.

He brushed her dark dishevelled bangs away from her forehead, planting a light kiss. 'Shh...' he soothed. 'It's not your fault Rach...'

'I let her go Noah...I should never have let her go...' she kept repeating to herself.

He kept rubbing his left palm up and down her back as he cradled her on his lap, with his right hand supporting underneath her bent knees. He rested his chin on top of her head again.

'You still love her. Don't you...'

After a pause registering the weight behind his realisation, she lifted her head, brown bloodshot eyes meeting. 'Noah...'

He smiled softly at her. 'It's okay Rachel, we're not in college anymore and I know it'll never happen again for us.'

She smiled gently, giving in. 'I don't want to feel sucked back in. I was moving on...or at least trying...and then she just,'

'_Appeared._' they spoke in unison. Puck smiled softly.

'Like she has some sort of radar for me. Like she knows when to swoop in. And now I can't just go back. I can't just go back to a time when she wasn't around, when I didn't have to think about her. When I didn't have to watch those stupid dog food commercials and hear her snorts of laughter at it. When I didn't have to call up my dads to ask them about my reviews instead of sitting on her old ugly ass couch and hearing her voice read them to me. I could finally live without that disgusting jar of Marmite plaguing my cupboard.' she said with a shiver and Puck gave a light laugh. 'And now she's back. Now I can't walk past NYU. I have to turn off the radio if Michael Jackson comes on. I had to delete Hall and Oates off my iPod. _Delete it, _Noah. I couldn't just delete the one song, or it would mess up the whole collection. Now I have no Hall and Oates!' she threw her hands up in exasperation.

Puck sniggered. 'And _somehow_ you're living without them...'

Her fingertips smoothed over the white lettering on his stained t-shirt. 'She _has_ to survive Noah...she's just _got_ to.'

He smoothed his hand over her hunched back again. 'I know, Ray..._I know_...'

Puck raised his eyes to see a tired looking surgeon in scrubs walking towards them. If they were anywhere else, he would probably try to hit on her. She pulled off her polka dot scrub cap to reveal shiny red hair. Okay, he would _definitely_ hit on her. But not here, he's not _that_ much of a jackass.

He gently shifted Rachel's legs off him and turned her body. He helped her to stand as she also noticed the surgeon.

The surgeon smiled at them. 'Am I right in assuming you're friends with Lucy Quinn Fabray...?'

Rachel nodded quickly. Puck rested a hand on her shoulder and spoke for them both. 'Yeah that's us.'

'I'm Dr. Armstrong, but you can just call me Emilie. I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon, and I assisted in Lucy's surgery...'

'Please, just call her Quinn. That's what she prefers.' Puck interrupted.

The surgeon gave a small nod, correcting herself. 'The impact of the car broke three of her right ribs, which punctured her lung. Some suspected internal haemorrhaging was what forced us to take Quinn into surgery, and it was complicated further by some lacerations that we found due to the impact.'

Puck felt small hands clutch desperately at the dark grey cotton of his t-shirt when those fatal words were uttered.

'Quinn crashed, and we lost her for a few minutes...' Dr Armstrong spoke gently. Puck took a visibly sharp intake of breath. '...But we were able to stabilise her once we could control the bleeding.'

Wide, dark eyes fluttered up to the doctor. 'She's _alive_?' Rachel squealed in visible relief.

The doctor smiled with a nod. 'Yes, Ms. Fabray is alive. She is stable, but she is still unconscious - her body has undergone considerable trauma over the past few hours. We're going to keep her under observation for a few days, just to track her progress.'

Puck smiled a little easier. 'Can we see her...?'

Dr Armstrong nodded. 'Yes, you can see her.' she began to lead them over to the intensive care ward, where the blonde was situated. 'Just to warn you, she is still using a tube ventilator.'

'I thought you said she was stable?'

'She is, it's just a precaution for post-op cardio patients. For the first hour or two, even after they're stabilised we keep patients like Quinn on a ventilator, just to give her that extra support - so her lungs won't have a chance to decrease from the normal capacity.'

They both nodded as if they had a clue what the surgeon was talking about. Quinn was alive and stable and that's all they needed to know.

She led them to the door of Quinn's room. 'I'll leave you three alone for a while, but a nurse will be coming to check on her in a little while.'

They both nodded in gratitude. 'Thank you so much doctor.' they spoke in unison again and immediately looked at each other. They really needed to stop doing that. Dr Armstrong gave them an amused smile and then retreated, leaving Puck to enter the small white and sky blue room first.

* * *

><p>The heart monitor and the ventilator took it in turns to beep and gush, sometimes even colliding with each other. Puck stepped carefully around the bed, as if he thought his footsteps might wake her.<p>

He winced at the sight of the bruises around her nose, eyes and left temple. Her bottom lip was split and there was still some left-over dried blood under her perfectly little nose. She looked as if she'd been in some sort of fight. Her arms rested by her sides, above the scratchy looking pale yellow and white blankets. Her knuckles were grazed, speckled with deep red dried blood. He didn't want Rachel to see Quinn like this. To ruin the image of her that she held so dear to her. That's why he volunteered to go in first. But the small gasp made it obvious that she could see her now.

He turned his head to see her horrified expression, hand raised to her lips, fresh tears threatening to coat the now old lines marked on her little cheeks.

'Rach...' he whispered, not quite sure what to say to make any of it better.

She simply ignored his attempt. She crept over to the right side of the bed and stroked her fingertips over Quinn's pale right forearm. Puck moved round to that side of the bed, to support her. Rachel let out a shallow quiet moan as more tears fell. He eased his hands over her shoulders, and kissed the side of dark brown hair, his senses being invaded by coconut scented shampoo.

'_Quinny..._' she murmured. Her small thumb brushed the ridges of rough knuckles. '_I'm so sorry Jelly...' _she whispered weakly, just watching that still face as the ventilator continued to wheeze and gush, and the heart monitor continued to steadily beep.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Clown

Hazel eyes squinted open in the harsh sunlight streaming through the blinds. Eyes roamed the sky blue and white room. _This isn't my room…_she thought to herself as the heavy cloudy feeling settled within her skull. Her body felt like a rock, pinning her to the bed. Even breathing felt sore. Her teeth brushed against what felt like…she looked down, _a tube? What the hell happened?_

And then it all came back to her. Her eyes snapped shut at the feeling. Hearing Puck's voice one last time echoed around her head, and then a falling feeling silenced by a crushing pain blowing through her chest. The distant unfamiliar voices calling her name; and the darkness falling around her. The faint beep she could hear in the room began to quicken, and she felt herself breathing heavier through the mystery tube sticking out of her throat.

Her eyes snapped open, tracking the room again. Her body felt too heavy to move, but she managed to move her eyes toward the window to her right. And then she saw something that helped her breathe a little easier, the beeping beginning to even out as her heart rate slowed a little. Or more like, she saw _someone_.

Puck sat slumped in the ugly rose pink armchair covered by what looked like…a ladies coat? She wanted to laugh seeing him like that, he'd deny it ever happened if he was conscious. His face looked red, puffy. His mohawk wasn't smooth and pointed like usual. He'd never let anyone see him like that normally. He hadn't shaved in maybe…two days? The last time Quinn had seen him like that was the Superbowl; when he vowed that he wouldn't shave unless the Giants won. Quinn rolled her eyes, _guess it was a good job they did. _She watched his chest rise and ease slowly, as if he were calm, but his furrowed brow and slightly clenched jaw said otherwise. She knew they'd had their ups and downs over the years, but she knew she could count on him when it really mattered.

With as much of a smile as she could manage, she let her eyes roll back over to the left. As her eyes began to close luring her back to sleep, she could've sworn she saw Rachel wrapped in a fluffy matching rose pink blanket sitting in a matching armchair to her left. She dismissed the hallucination as she let her body pull her back under the protection of sleep once more.

* * *

><p>'This is ridiculous!' she sighed, small balled up fists clunking against the dinner table. 'I don't see how he can <em>possibly<em> think that my research on Stanislavski can possibly be wrong and not be able to support his dismissals without showing me the corresponding marking criteria!'

Quinn rolled her eyes. 'Rachel, he can't show you marking criteria for an exam you know that…'

She huffed. 'I know that. He should just guide us more appropriately if he wants us to use particular research – Stanislavski had a lot of theories!'

She chuckled. 'You mean he should guide _you_…'

Brown eyes shot up from her papers over at Quinn. 'Rachel Barbra Berry does _not_ need more guidance than anyone else! Particularly in the field of theatrics!'

Quinn shook her head and chuckled in amusement. 'Clearly…' she muttered. 'D'you always refer to yourself in the third person?'

She sighed, visibly still flustered by the blonde's suggestion. _How dare she think that I need more guidance! _'No,' she finally spoke, bringing her fists closer to her body. 'No I don't.'

The blonde found herself intrigued by the small brunette sitting opposite her. Quinn and Santana didn't have too much furniture in their dorm, so sitting around the dinner table was just gonna have to do. She'd invited Rachel over for a study night – neither of them had done as they'd expected on their midterms, and two heads are better than one, right?

Quinn nodded with a small smile. 'Just checking.'

Rachel lowered her eyes to her paper which had been scribbled all over by Dr Knowles. Quinn watched her study the paper wondering how a girl like her would get involved with a guy like Puck. I mean yeah, she loved the guy like he was her brother but he could be a bit of a knucklehead.

That's when the words slid out of her mouth before she could stop them. 'How'd you and Puck meet?'

Deep brown eyes rose from the sheets of paper splayed out in front of them. She said nothing, just looked at the blonde.

'I mean, you guys don't seem like you'd be a first choice…'

She smiled slightly. 'Noah is a good guy, you know that.'

Quinn smirked. 'Yeah…yeah he is.'

'To tell the truth, he charmed me.' Quinn smiled in recognition, and nodded for the brunette to continue. 'I used to have this really old red Volvo. It was a present from my dads, and I couldn't bear to get rid of it despite it being on its last legs. So one day I get back to the parking lot from class preparing to get back to my dorm. I try to start the car, and there was a loud bang from the exhaust and under the hood started to smoke. I got out of the car, and Noah was walking by. He stopped and helped me by checking out under the hood.' she shrugged. 'I guess the rest is history.'

Quinn smiled. 'How positively chivalrous of him.'

Rachel chuckled. 'I thought it was sweet of him. He didn't have to.'

The blonde rolled her eyes. 'Rachel this is Puck we're talking about. You're a pretty girl, _of course_ he had to.'

Rachel blushed slightly and looked down, and Quinn realised what she'd said. Rachel tucked a strand of hair behind a small ear. 'You…you think I'm pretty, Quinn?'

She swallowed quietly, fidgeting with her fingertips. 'I…uh, yeah I do.'

Brown eyes twinkled looking into hazel, and Quinn felt a flutter within her.

* * *

><p>Quinn felt the gentle flutter again, but it grew more tangible. She looked down and felt as if gentle prickles of electricity ran down the fingertips of her left hand, continuing to the inside of her elbow. Faint familiar voices began to surround her.<p>

'_Noah…Noah wake up…'_

'_I'll get the nurse…'_

'_Hurry…'_

* * *

><p>Vanilla and Daisy by Marc Jacobs flooded her senses. Images flickered through her head like a damaged film reel, holes and black marks blemishing the visions. Haziness clouded the images, but her senses were assaulted by the sensations.<p>

The sensations of feeling lightly tanned skin underneath her fingertips. The twists in indents of muscles beneath her lips. The tinkling roar of a distinct laugh floating around her eardrums. The damp feeling of tears seeping through the thin material of her tank top as desperate breaths sobbed against her chest. The prickly feel of static electricity the first time that lips grazed each other, and sighs became one.

She felt the tension of muscles underneath her, the desperate gasps of breath just above her ear. Hips bucked into her as murmured chants fell from puckered lips. She reached for the bars above her head for leverage as she pushed deeper inside. Little high pitched whines and moans laced with '_don't stop' _and _'right there' _cascaded into her ears, sounds committing themselves to memory. Soft walls squeezed around her making it harder for her to move. A soft hand finds hers between their bodies, and she hears that familiar voice once again.

'_Jelly…'_

* * *

><p>She feels a light pulling sensation coming from her mouth. Her tongue slides against the underside of the translucent plastic tube and it shifts. She doesn't feel the heaviness pressing down on her closed eyelids so much, and they slowly flitter open.<p>

An auburn haired nurse dressed in white scrubs flecked with multi-coloured shapes smiles down at her, both hands loosely wrapped around the tube trailing from her mouth.

'Good morning Quinn…' she speaks softly, the sound gentle to her ears. 'I need you to open your mouth slightly for me please, can you do that…?'

The blonde nods and opens her mouth as much as she can, feeling a slight ache in her jaw muscles. The nurse pulls gently and the tube slides within her throat. She coughs and the plastic rubs against the back of her tongue, making her want to wretch. The nurse holds a white tissue beneath her lips as she is finally able to withdraw the long tube, with a slight trail of unattractive saliva.

Her throat feels dry and constricted as she coughs. The nurse disposes of the tube still hooked up to a strange looking machine, into a blue medical bucket waiting in the corner. 'Your throat is going to be sore for a little while Quinn…we had to put you on a ventilator while you were out, so we could keep you stable.'

She couldn't recognise her own voice as she spoke. It was deep and rough with a croak. 'How long was I out…?'

The nurse gives a small smile. 'About two days…'

_Two days? Two whole days? _Her eyes quickly pace the room, and she struggles to take in the information. Her eyes fall back onto the nurse who smiles sympathetically in understanding.

'It's natural to be alarmed Quinn…but the important thing is you're awake now.' She wraps her hands around the beige bar at the end of the bed. 'Your chest will be sore for a few days yet. You had surgery after your accident. You had a lot of internal bleeding, but the surgeons managed to get that under control. You also had a considerable head trauma when you hit your head, so getting your memory back might not happen fully for a few days, but this is normal. You also have a few broken ribs, but they'll heal in time. Your stitches are all biodegradable, so as long as you keep them clean and keep changing your dressing, they'll just disintegrate naturally so you wont have to return to the hospital to have them removed.' Quinn's mind raced, she couldn't process all of what she'd just been told. The nurse smiled at her again. 'I know it's hard to take it all in…but you have some visitors here to cheer you up. They've been here since you were brought in actually…'

She hears footsteps and adjusts her eyes. She thinks she must have fallen asleep again when she sees the 5 foot 2 brunette beauty standing next to Puck in the doorway.


	24. Chapter 24

**__****A/N: Hey guys, sorry I've been a little MIA on the updating front lately, uni work got a little crazy for me for a while. I'm trying my best to get back on track, and up to speed with it all so I'll try to update more often. (Oh and a big thank you to everyone who's put this story on alert or favourited it - that really means a lot!) Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong><em>24. Read All About It<em>**

**From: Noah**

_I need to talk to you Q, I'm coming over. _

That one message started it all.

He came over looking like he hadn't slept, something which Quinn knew would only happen if he had a 'lady friend' over. The thought of Rachel being his 'lady friend' the night before made her stomach churn.

He was quiet as he entered her dorm. Dark crescent shapes hung under his dark eyes. She watched him cross the room, but he didn't take a seat on the couch like he normally did. Instead he just loitered by the TV, hands stuffed into jeans pockets. 'Are you okay Puck?'

'We need to talk.' He answered but avoided her eyes.

She should have seen the signs. She should have seen it coming. A sinking feeling crept up her legs, settling in her abdomen.

Her voice wavered slightly as she spoke. 'Puck…?'

Dark eyes finally settled on hers. The whites of his eyes were slightly red and undeniably tired. His whole stance was limp, lacking the confidence she'd seen almost every day since they'd met.

The last time she'd seen him like this was the day his grandmother died. He wouldn't pick up his phone, so she had no choice but to visit his house.

* * *

><p>His mother answered the door dressed completely in black, a small silver Star of David hanging between her collarbones. She looked worn out, but she smiled weakly recognising Quinn.<p>

'Oh hello Quinn, how are you?'

Quinn smiled back, a little confused by the reversal of sunny disposition she was normally greeted with at the Puckerman residence. 'Are you okay Mrs Puckerman?' she asked carefully.

'Did Noah not tell you?' she responded quietly.

'Tell me what…?' Quinn worriedly asked.

An anvil blew through Quinn's body when Mrs Puckerman finally answered quietly.

'Bubbeh Ailsa passed late last night…'

She realised why she hadn't heard from him in so long. Quinn could only imagine Puck's face. Puck's dad wasn't around much, so he was pretty much raised by the two strongest women Quinn had ever met.

Mrs Puckerman and Bubbeh Ailsa had always welcomed Quinn into their home. Quinn had never had the best relationship with her father, often seeking refuge after their heated arguments at the Puckerman residence. They always welcomed her with open arms, literally. Quinn would always remember the smell of Chanel that gently washed over her as she was brought close by Bubbeh Ailsa and her tears dried. In many ways, Ailsa was her Bubbeh too.

Quinn felt her eyes sting with tears as she stood on the Puckerman's porch. Mrs Puckerman welcomed her inside.

'I'm so sorry Mrs Puckerman…'

She hugged Quinn and shook her head. 'Quinn you know by now to call me Debrah, none of this Mrs Puckerman business. It's good that you're here, Noah has hardly left his room.'

'I hadn't heard from him in a while, so I thought I'd pop over.'

She nodded. 'I think he could really use a friend like you right now.' She nodded towards the stairs. 'Y'know where his room is.'

Quinn nodded and smiled gratefully. 'I'll check on him.'

She climbed the stairs quietly, the steps creaking underneath her. She knocked softly twice on his white door adorned with band stickers and pushed it open.

As it squeaked a little he raised his head. He sat on his bed, the only light in the room coming from the black lamp on his desk. The dark navy blinds were still closed, blocking out most of the light from outside. His trusty guitar was laid across his lap, but he wasn't playing it.

Quinn approached him carefully, and sat timidly on the end of his bed. His eyes looked hollow, his whole face looking slightly gaunt in grief.

'Hi…' she gave a small smile as she spoke.

His voice was coarse and weak in response. 'Hi.'

'I heard about Bubbeh…' He looked down and started plucking at the strings under his fingertips, avoiding her gaze. She lowered her head, trying to catch his eyes. 'D'you wanna talk about it…? Your mom says you've hardly been out of your room…'

He cleared his throat but his voice still sounded hoarse. 'What's left to talk about? You already know what happened.'

She slid her hand gently against the jeans covering his shin. 'Noah…'

She knew that would get his attention. She knew his Bubbeh and his mom were the only ones who called him by his first name. His worn out eyes rose to meet hers. 'Have you slept…?'

He shook his head and answered with a quiet 'No. I kept mom company most of the night. She sat with Bubbeh until I convinced her to go to bed.'

A single tear dared to break free from his eye. He wiped it away with a stubborn sounded grumble. That was the first time she'd ever seen Puck cry.

* * *

><p>He rested his hand against the old TV. 'Quinn if you're not even gonna pay attention I don't know why I'm trying with you anymore.' He huffed.<p>

'I am paying attention.'

'Oh yeah? Then what have I just said…?' he folded his arms.

Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she gave up. He sighed heavily and shook his head. 'I don't even know why I bother. I'm done.'

He walked towards the door and reached for the handle. Quinn stopped him, pressing her palm against the door, holding it closed.

'No Puck, you said you wanted to talk. So talk to me.' He tried for the door again, reaching for the doorknob. 'Noah…' she tried again.

He froze in position, eyes fixed on the black doorknob. He spoke slowly and simply, keeping his voice down even though Santana was nowhere to be seen.

'Did Rachel cheat on me with you?'

The hitch of breath in her throat was the only sound in the room. His hand dropped its grip on the handle. 'Tell me the truth.' He couldn't bring himself to say her name, let alone look at her.

She stepped back; allowing him the storm out she thought was inevitable.

'I need to hear it from you. She told me, but I _need_ to hear it from you.' He almost pleaded as he spoke. '_Just tell me the truth_.'

Her eyes closed, feeling the crash around her. Lucy Quinn Fabray had finally found her downfall, and this time Puck wasn't there to save her. Her eyes opened and she looked down to find her hands trembling. She didn't want to find Puck's eyes watching her. She didn't want to know that Rachel had done this. She didn't want to know that she had the ability to hurt them both like this. She wished she could just shut her eyes and let it all drift away, but she knew it was time to stop running.

She took a deep breath, waiting for the impact. 'Yes.'

She looked up, eyes trained on the carnage.

A tremor rippled through the muscles in his left forearm, he still didn't let his eyes look at her. He simply stared at the plaster-washed wall across the room.

'I didn't want to believe it.' He finally spoke, refusing his voice to break. 'I didn't want to believe that it could happen. Not with you both.'

She remained silent, just listening to his voice. Underneath it all she was grateful that he didn't just storm out like he would have done not so long ago. And then that feeling broke with one word. He shifted his head to face her, a tear cascading down the smooth skin of his cheek.

'_Why_?'

She shook her head with a shrug. 'I don't know.'

He laughed slightly. 'Sure you do Quinn. You're just too scared to admit it.'

That's the thing about Noah Puckerman. He always knew Quinn better than she knew herself. She looked up and he watched her. Really looking at her, like he saw straight into her soul. He squeezed his fists together and gritted his teeth with a grumble, shaking his head.

'I am so mad at you Quinn…'

She looked down nodding. 'I know. I know…'

'…But I know why you did it. I shoulda seen it coming…' Her head whipped up, her eyes exploring his face once more. 'I can't believe I didn't see it. Why didn't you tell me?' his eyes slowly turned to face hers. The disappointment mingled with hurt.

'I couldn't tell you Noah…' she replied weakly.

'Yes you could. You _knew_ you could tell me, you know you can tell me _anything_. You were just too scared to do it. To finally say it out loud.'

She sighed. 'You're my best friend Puck. How do you tell your best friend something like that?'

He turned his whole body to face hers. 'How do you _not_ tell your _best friend_ something like that?'

A tear rolled down her cheek, following the same path as his had. 'I can't believe I've done this to you. To either of you.'

His calm demeanour suddenly changed with a shake of his head. 'No. No you don't get to play the victim here Quinn. _You_ did this. _You_ let this happen. _Both of you_.' His gaze snapped away from her. 'I don't even want to look at you right now.' He shook his head again.

'I can't.' He ruffled one hand through his mohawk that Quinn realised wasn't gelled and styled like it was normally. 'I have to go.' He grumbled clutching onto the door handle.

She let him pull it open with a rough tug. He looked back around the room, everywhere but at her. 'I'm disappointed in you Quinn.'

He shut the door leaving her silently standing in the middle of the room, head hanging toward the floor.


	25. Chapter 25

_**25. Futuresex/Lovesound**_

Quinn re-adjusted herself against the rounded stone of the fountain. She looked across at the brunette as she watched her remove the plastic cup on the lid of her coffee. Her perfectly pink lips pursed blowing a cool stream of air, rippling the dark steaming liquid. Her fingers tightened around the blue cardboard cup, absorbing its radiating warmth.

Quinn secured the sides of her black beanie hat around her ears. She was the first to speak. 'You said you had something to talk to me about…'

Rachel decided to get right to the point. 'I'm thinking of leaving NYU.'

At the brunette's words Quinn thought she might fall backwards into the fountain. '_What_? Rachel, NYU is your life…'

She folded one slender black legging clad leg over the other. 'I'm thinking of switching to Columbia.'

Quinn's brain still rang with disbelief. 'I thought you loved NYU…'

'I do.' She nodded. 'I do. I still love NYU, and New York. Just with these auditions we've been doing outside college, I don't know whether I can do this anymore.' She stared down into her coffee as if it were the only thing it the world left to captivate her. 'I think I need to accept that maybe I'm not good enough anymore. Getting into NYU after getting rejected from NYADA, something in me still believed that I was good enough. But every audition I've been on in the past few weeks…' she sighed heavily 'They've all rejected me. Maybe it's time to accept that I'm not as good as I thought I was.'

Quinn's mouth fell open at what she was hearing. 'No!' she blurted out. Rachel raised her eyes looking at her confused.

'Rachel…' she sighed exasperated. 'You're _Rachel Barbra Berry_. You're _Rachel 'gold star' Berry_. Yeah, maybe you've been knocked down a couple times lately but that's not a reason to give up now. Look at you. Look at what you've achieved. Things didn't go so good with NYADA, but look how you've bounced back. You took on moving to New York. You took on NYU and you _won_, Rach. If you leave NYU now…you're as good as giving in…'

Rachel shook her head. 'I'm not giving in Quinn. I still want to be involved in Broadway. I'm looking into MFA Stage Management Concentration at Columbia. I still want to be in that environment, I still want to feel the excitement. But maybe I don't belong up there anymore. I'll still be there; I'll just be backstage, doing the organising.' She nudged into slim ribs. 'You know how much I love organising. I'll just be happy in the background.'

Hearing the words _I'll just be happy in the background_ coming from _Rachel Berry_'s mouth made Quinn laugh. Really uncontrollable, rib-shaking-type laughter. Blonde hair spilled out from beneath her black beanie brushing around her pale face as she hunched forward, shoulders trembling in amusement.

Rachel watched her in confusion. 'Quinn…? What's so funny…? Do you not think I am capable of such a challenging and intellectually stimulating course? Because I can assure you I am _perfectly_ able...'

Rachel's inevitable rambling was cut off by the blonde sitting up straight again and shook her head still smiling. 'Oh I do believe you could do it Rach, absolutely. But you and I both know that's bullshit. The Rachel Berry I know would _never_ be 'happy in the background', so don't even try to feed me that shit.'

Rachel went quiet at that. Something inside of her knew that Quinn was right, however much she tried to convince herself otherwise. She placed the translucent plastic top back on her coffee. 'I'm scared, Quinn.' She finally admitted, voice quieter and less confident than before.

Quinn gently rubbed the top of Rachel's back. 'I know you are Rach. But if anyone can do this, it's you. You've come too far and believed in yourself too long to stop and give up now.' Rachel swiped a finger underneath her left eye and looked across to the blonde.

'You think…?'

The blonde gave a wide smile and a confident nod. 'I do. I love your drive. You don't let what other people think stand in your way of what you want. I love you for your ambition and the way you're not scared to dream…' The blonde was interrupted when she looked across to her left and saw Rachel watching her. Quinn raised her brow in confusion. 'What…?'

A bright smile spread across Rachel's mouth. 'You…you love me…?'

'I…'

'You do.' She grinned. 'You love me…'

'Of course I love you…why would you think I didn't…?'

'In my room, when I caught you dancing…'

Quinn's eyes widened in realisation. 'When I told you to take it back…'

Rachel nodded looking down. 'You weren't ready to say it back…'

Quinn interrupted her by taking her small right hand into both pale hands and shook her head rapidly with a little chuckle. 'No, no it wasn't that. I've known for a long time that I love you Rachel; I just wanted to say it first. I wanted to find the perfect time to tell you in some sort of cheesy way they do in the movies and musicals. But then I realised there is no perfect time. I just had to say what I feel, but I still wanted to tell you first.' Rachel looked at her with an odd expression. 'It's pathetic and selfish I know…'

Rachel giggled and took Quinn's chin between the fingertips of her other hand. She shook her head. 'It's not pathetic _or_ selfish. I love you too Quinn.'

The blonde felt giddy all of a sudden when peach pink lips brushed against hers. A vertiginous sensation took over her body; and she felt as if she were falling backwards. Rachel felt lips shift slightly away from hers; she opened brown eyes to find Quinn leaning backwards with her eyes still clasped shut. Realising what was about to happen, her right arm shot out looping around her girlfriend's back and pushing her upright again to stop her falling backwards into the fountain. Quinn's eyes snapped open at the contact, a blush growing over her pale cheeks. Rachel let out a hooting infectious laugh and took Quinn's hand.

'Come on,' she purred 'I think we'd better get you home before you fall in the lake.'

* * *

><p>Swinging the door open with a clatter, the door slammed into the umbrella stand. The room was dimly lit, provided by the small white lamps around the room. The two girls spilled into the room, intertwined by roaming hands and lips.<p>

Rachel slipped off her jacket easily, tossing it towards the couch. A sharp muffled sound halted Quinn in her tracks, while Rachel obliviously kept nipping the pale neck in front of her with her lips and teeth. Eyes flicked towards the couch and Quinn did a double take.

Hazel eyes went wide. '_San_…?'

Kisses stopped and the shorter girl slowly turned her head. Spotting the other girl on the couch, her jaw dropped. '_Britt_…?'

Quinn looked between both of the girls on the couch then back to Rachel. 'You know each other…?'

Brittany smiled sheepishly at the girls in the doorway. Rachel nodded. 'She's my roomie.'

Quinn rolled her eyes with a smile at Santana. 'Of course she is.'

* * *

><p>She was forced backwards, sent crashing into the wall behind her. Her head sank backwards with a small thud as small hands began to roam. Lips found creamy pale skin and rose pink lips. Dark brown orbs burned into hazel, and the blonde found herself thrown off kilter. With a small smile she felt one hand slip beneath her thin green tank top and the other grab the nape of her neck, pulling her closer. She learned to breathe through her nose, not wanting to waste a moment away from those captivating lips.<p>

Just as she was finally regaining her balance, she opened her eyes to find herself briefly facing thick locks of curly brunette hair. She moved her right hand up, curling her fist around Rachel's hair and tugged. The smaller girl's head shot back with a quiet gasp. Quinn let out a low chuckle by her ear, and felt the way the brunette trembled slightly against her. Her body was always so good at giving her away.

Rachel decided it was time to take control again. With Quinn still having one hand wrapped around her hair, she dipped her legs down, pressing her ass back into Quinn on the way up. She smirked to herself, predicting how Quinn would react. The way the blonde bucked back against her ass let Rachel knew she predicted her just right.

She ground her ass again into Quinn's front and slender fingers from the blonde's left hand fixed themselves around Rachel's hip. Quinn's mouth loved on the skin of Rachel's neck, teeth nipping and lips sucking hard. The blonde loved feeling the way that it turned the brunette on, her limbs shaking lightly.

While paying careful attention to Rachel's neck, fingers crawled towards the waistband of Rachel's black leggings. Without too much difficulty, and absolutely no protest from the brunette, Quinn was able to slip her hand below the waiting panties. Feeling her knuckles graze against the material, her fingers dipped lower searching for more. Rachel's ass pushed harder against Quinn's front, in an attempt to buck her hips further into the blonde's exploring hand.

Rachel let out a quiet gasp as two of Quinn's fingers ran against her entrance, gathering some of the waiting moisture. She groaned in disappointment when slender fingers withdrew, only for her breath to hitch when she felt those same two slippy fingers apply pressure to her clit.

A squeaky moan bubbled from her tanned throat as she felt slender fingers rub and circle her sensitive bundle of nerves. Her small tanned hand found security in gripping choppy blonde hair just behind her head.

'What if Santana and Brittany hear us…?' she managed to pant out, eyes closed, head thrown back in delight against the taller girl's dainty shoulder.

She could hear the smirk in Quinn's whisper as her fingers continued to work their magic. 'Then you'll just have to be quiet…'

She tried to fight the warming sensation beginning to pool at the base of her abdomen. 'I don't think I can…' she whispered through a guttural moan gurgling in her throat.

Quinn smiled to herself; she knew where it was heading. She withdrew her fingers, much to Rachel's protests.

Walking them over to Rachel's sizeable double bed in the middle of the room, Quinn continued kissing the smooth tanned neck while a small hand tugged and tangled in her hair.

She moved Rachel down onto the mattress, keeping the little diva on her knees facing the wall behind the bed. She managed to slip off her leggings, revealing those oddly long legs she loved to admire. She removed the obstructing panties; they were pretty much ruined anyway. She worked her hands up her spine and removed Rachel's shirt dress, her final obstacle. Rachel didn't like wearing bras much, and Quinn had never been so thankful.

Feeling the cool air around her, Rachel's skin began to ripple with small goosebumps. Gradually those goosebumps were replaced by Quinn's warm, soft mouth, tongue darting out occasionally to taste the smooth sweet skin under her fingertips. She ran her mouth over the top of the brunette's spine, over the exact point she knew would make her back arch. Her mouth continued its journey down her spine, fingers cascading over the expanse of smooth tanned skin; breezing over all of the tickle spots Quinn had grown to know. Rachel's breath grew ragged, whines and pleas slipping out between excited pants. The blonde loved hearing the girl under her beg for what she wanted.

'_Quiiinnn_…'

Sliding her hand back up the spine pressed into her, Quinn guided Rachel's torso down into the mattress, pushing her hands out in front of her. Quinn's left hand stayed guard over both of Rachel's palms pressed down against the mattress as she felt Rachel's elevated ass press snugly against her. She ran the nails of her right hand down over that perfect ass, eliciting a shiver and a slight moan.

That hand travelled a little further West, easily finding its destination. Rachel bucked forward feeling those two fingers rub against her entrance once again.

Quinn kissed the top of the little spine. 'You okay?' she whispered quietly.

Seeing Rachel's head thrown back in response and her back arching, she knew she was just fine. Bangs stuck to a lightly perspiring forehead; eyes clamped shut and mouth hanging slightly open, releasing small pants.

She continued her ministrations, slipping her index finger easily into the girl below her. A small grunt urged her to continue. She picked up her pace, feeling the ass against her rub faster and faster until she struggled to keep up. Changing tactic, she withdrew her finger and replaced it with two causing Rachel's face to fall towards the pillows at the top of the bed. Quinn watched over her shoulder as the brunette clamped down onto a white pillow with her teeth. The blonde picked her pace up again, slamming her fingers quicker and quicker in and out of Rachel's wetness, causing muffled moans and expletives to tumble from a tensed mouth.

Feeling Quinn's slender fingers curl within her, hitting that spot _just_ right, Rachel's mouth released its crushing hold on the poor pillow. Her head bucked back, her whole body beginning to tremble.

'_Oh my god Quinn…oh my god…oh my god…_'

Taking her chants as a warning she used her left hand to trace down the front of Rachel's small body. Fingers traced and rubbed against tensed nipples, and down over abs.

Feeling the burning of the muscles in her right forearm, Quinn knew she wouldn't be able to carry on at such a pace for much longer. Her left hand slipped lower down, and finally touched against Rachel's waiting clit begging for attention. Rachel let out a loud hiss.

'_Yess…right there…_'

Fingers curled more fiercely inside of her, while two fingers rubbed and circled quickly over her clit.

'_Oh my god Quinn…I'm gonna come…I'm gonna…gonna…_'

With a swift press of a thumb and a final jerk of a hand, Rachel Berry came apart.

They collapsed in a collective heap against the mattress and Rachel wrapped her fingers around the nape of Quinn's perspiring neck. She kissed her again and again in gratitude and smiled against pale pink lips.

'We…' she panted trying to catch her breath '…are doing that…all…the…time…'

Curling into her side, Rachel Berry fell asleep and for the first time, Quinn Fabray felt an unknown shift in her life.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Hey everyone, sorry I've been neglecting this story - I ran out of steam, but I'll always come back to Faberry! Anyway, here's the next chapter - enjoy :)**

* * *

><p><em><strong>26. You Can Do Better Than Me<strong>_

She walked straight in not bothering to knock. Reading a book on Theatre Theorists (seriously who reads a book on theorists in their spare time?) Rachel didn't bother to look up until Quinn slammed the door. That got her attention. The look on Quinn's face said everything Rachel needed to know.

She snapped the book shut. 'I…I'm sorry Quinn…' she stuttered, not sure of how to start.

'Are you out of your _mind_?' Quinn hissed. 'Did you not think of warning me first before he came to my dorm and _ambushed_ me…? I looked like an idiot!'

'We got into this whole thing because of you, Quinn.'

'Don't you dare try and pin this all on _me_.' The blonde glared.

'You kissed me first…'

The blonde scoffed. 'What are you, five? It's not like you kissed me back or anything…'

'Now is obviously not the time for your sarcasm, Quinn.' Rachel chastised the girl standing across the room from her. She shook her head. 'I didn't know what I was doing, I wasn't thinking straight.'

'Oh so you didn't know what you were doing every other time we fucked? Seems to me like you did…'

'You knew I was with Noah.'

'I was with Lexie. That's irrelevant and you know it.'

'It's perfectly relevant because I'm still with Noah.'

'Could you have not at least told me you were thinking about telling him?'

Rachel rubbed her forehead with her palm with an exasperated sigh. She could feel one of her stress headaches coming on. 'I couldn't warn you because I didn't tell him.'

Quinn stopped in her tracks. 'What…? Then…who did…?'

Rachel paused for a second before answering, weighing up the weight of the two words on her tongue. 'You did.'

'Rachel don't play fucking dumb with me. I think I would've remembered telling him something like _that_.'

She looked down at the beige front cover of her book. 'Daddy called me. I was in the shower and I left my phone on the table next to Noah. He shouted to me to ask if he should answer it.'

* * *

><p>Noah's fingertips mashed the buttons on the controller so hard they were probably going to malfunction soon; but he had to K.O. The Joker before Rachel finished her nightly routine, cutting his gaming time short. He loved her, but he knew that she often got bored quickly if she had to watch him obsess over his video games.<p>

As soon as Batman delivered the final blow to The Joker, Rachel's pink bedazzled cellphone began to vibrate against the side table next to the couch. He looked at the display reading 'Daddy'. The Berry men were both familiar with Noah, and he knew that they would recognise his voice, but he respected Rachel's privacy.

He heard that the shower was no longer running and picked up her still buzzing cellphone. He quickly moved to the bathroom door and knocked twice.

'Rach, your dad is calling…'

He always forgot which of the Berry men was dad or daddy, but Rachel would figure it out as soon as she took the call.

He heard a muffled voice from behind the beige panelled door. 'Could you get it honey? Tell him I'll be out in a minute.'

He walked away from the bathroom door, and as soon as he went to press the accept button, the incoming call had been abandoned. His thumb clumsily slipped over the middle button and he found himself in Rachel's inbox.

A message from Quinn Fabray popped up, illuminating the screen.

_Hey baby, you still coming over tomorrow night? I have a little surprise for you ;) (and before you try and guess, no it isn't our little pink friend!) xxxx_

His mind went blank. He understood them being friends, he _liked_ that the two most important women in his life were friends. But this? Casual friends don't call each other 'baby' or leave winks. He didn't even want to hazard a guess at what their 'pink friend' meant.

His fist gripped tightly around the pink bedazzled phone and stared hard at the ground, his mind reeling. Rachel walked casually into the living room towelling the wet ends to her hair. She looked up at his face and her easy smile dropped. He was sickly pale, and her mind began to race.

'Noah…? Noah what's wrong? What's happened? What did dad say…?'

He scoffed, snapping out of his trance. 'Are you fucking Quinn Fabray?'

His eyes rose to hers, and she looked like a rabbit caught in Noah's headlights. 'What…?'

He dropped her cellphone onto the couch between them, the message on the screen. She looked down at it as if it would burn her if she touched it. She carefully retrieved it from the couch cushion, her tiny tanned thumb breezing over the screen.

He watched her face drop, realisation flicker in her deep brown eyes. She looked back up at him. 'I…'

He shook his head looking down and ran one hand through the tip of his mohawk. 'Do me a favour Rachel…' he almost pleaded. '…_Don't lie to me_…Just do me that _one _thing…'

'I don't know what to say.' She responded quietly.

He nodded to her cellphone dangling from her hand. 'I think it's pretty obvious, don't you?'

'Noah I…'

'Y'know if it was some stranger I didn't know I could…' he sighed sharply. '…But my _best friend_ Rachel? _Quinn Fabray_…? Of _all the people_?'

'I can't…'

'You can't what Rach…? You can't do this…?' His voice wavered. 'You already did Rach. Don't you see that? Both of you. _You already did_.'

'Noah…'

He held on to the top of his head and raised his left hand towards her to stop her. His chest constricted at the way his name fell from between those perfect lips.

'Don't say my name.' He begged, his voice emerging quietly. 'Please, just…_don't say my name_.'

He walked slowly towards the door. He heard her voice speaking softly behind him.

'Please don't go…' He stopped in his tracks. 'Please don't do this, _please don't go_…'

He closed his eyes, her words encasing his whole body in a messy tangle. He turned back to face her and opened his eyes once more.

She stood in the middle of the room, tears tumbling over those soft tanned cheeks that his lips loved to kiss and caress. His feet began to move of their own accord, pulling his body into her consuming force field that he'd always been powerless against, ever since that varsity basketball game.

He found himself standing in front of her, his hands wrapped around the nape of her neck underneath her still wet hair. The moisture felt cool and slick against the back of his knuckles. He had her hugged against her chest, her arms holding onto his waist. Her tears seeped through his light grey t-shirt.

'_Please_ don't walk away.' she pleaded again through choked sobs. 'I can't let you go. _Please_ don't let me go.' He felt her tiny fists bunch up the material of his shirt at the bottom of his ribs.

His lips rested against her damp bangs. He sighed and finally spoke. 'But I have to.' He felt her eyes clench at his words, tears falling rapidly down her face, muffled by the material covering his chest.

He lifted his lips away and she looked up at him, her large brown eyes framed in red blotches. Their lips collided and he breathed in her soft skin and the way she felt pressed against him. He breathed in the light scent of coffee and vanilla scented fabric softener radiating from her. He took one last lungful of her and pulled away.

He stepped away from her and turning his back; he walked out the door.


	27. Chapter 27

_****_**A/N:** I'm so sorry I've been so slow to update recently guys, inspiration has been kinda running low. Thank you again to everyone who's got this on alert and to everyone who has stuck it out with me - it really means a lot! Enjoy, and lemme know what you think :)

**A/N2: **(Oh and this chapter is named after Ron Pope's _A Drop In The Ocean_. If you haven't heard it, check it!

* * *

><p><em><strong>27. A Drop In The Ocean<strong>_

'Lucy Quinn Fabray?'  
>Hazel eyes stop tracing the pointless orange squares on the grey carpet. A nervous foot stops bouncing. She looks up, taking in the blonde woman in her late fifties standing in the doorway.<br>The woman wears a kind smile. 'Would you like to come in?'  
>Reluctantly Quinn gets to her feet and steps toward the woman. Her chest feels uncomfortably tight; the physiotherapist pushed her unusually hard on the treadmill that morning. The woman steps aside and welcomes Quinn into the room.<p>

It took a second for Quinn's eyes to adjust to the dimmed light. The main light in the room was switched off; the only light in the room coming from two lamps sitting on a desk underneath the window.  
>She looked to her right. A small round table sat between a royal blue couch filled with cushions and a matching armchair opposite. Quinn half turns and the woman is patiently watching her get her bearings. After a long pause, she speaks again.<br>'Hug or handshake?' she smiles. Quinn freezes. The woman maintains her warm smile. 'I always like to start and finish a session with a hug or a handshake.'  
>Quinn tensed. She was already way out of her comfort zone, and now this stranger wanted to hug her?<br>The other blonde reached out a hand, noticing Quinn's physical response to her question. 'Handshake then? I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable here.'  
>Quinn reluctantly stuck out her hand. The other woman's hand enveloped Quinn's feeling soft and warm with a slight squeeze. Comforting. She smiled at Quinn finally responding to her. She directed a hand towards the couch.<br>'Sit, please. Make yourself comfortable.' She spoke softly, almost as if not to startle Quinn. Quinn shuffled over to the couch beside them and sat carefully, the woman taking a seat in her matching armchair. She looked down at the small stack of papers in front of her on the table. She looked back to Quinn.  
>'I hope you don't mind, but there are just a few routine things I have to check. It's boring but it'll just take a few minutes. Is that okay?'<br>Quinn nodded but stayed silent, her body language tense.  
>'You are Lucy Quinn Fabray, aren't you?'<br>She nodded again. 'Yes, I'm Quinn Fabray.'  
>'Is that what you prefer?'<br>'Yes.'  
>The woman nodded in recognition with a small smile. 'Very well. My name is Diane, but you can call me Di if you prefer, most people do.' The only recognition Quinn gave was another nod.<br>'What is your date of birth Quinn?'  
>'July 14th 1994.'<br>Diane nodded. 'Are you from Los Angeles? I don't pick up a Californian accent with you…'  
>Quinn shook her head. 'Originally I'm from Lima, Ohio.'<br>Diane looked surprised. 'Originally?'  
>'I moved to New York to go to college when I was 18. I live there now.'<br>'Oh that's fantastic!' Di beamed. 'Which college?'  
>'NYU.' Quinn answered shortly.<br>'And what brings you to L.A. Quinn…?'  
>Quinn went visibly tight lipped. She hesitated before answering carefully. 'An old friend.'<br>Diane's kind smile re-appears. 'Are you visiting them?'  
>Quinn looked down at her hands sitting intertwined in her lap. 'You could say that.'<br>'And what do you mean by that Quinn?'  
>She huffed, a little irritated. 'I thought I was here to get me to talk about what happened?'<br>'That will happen; I'm just trying to find out a little more about you.'  
>Quinn rolled her eyes slightly. She knew she wasn't going to get out of this quickly.<p>

* * *

><p>She walked briskly along the sidewalk. She heard the beep of the answer phone, and just prayed that the message would be received soon.<br>'San, Jimmys, fifteen minutes. Be there.' She hung up and dropped her cellphone back into her messenger bag. She pulled her coat closer around her frame and stuffed her hands into her pockets.

Jimmys was a small bar that wasn't too popular, but it had some good music and the girls had grown to consider it their own little place. The hospital was a little while away from the bar by foot but Quinn needed some time to clear her head so she skipped the bus ride.

When she finally arrived, Santana was already there, leaning against the red brick of the small building. She walked down the side alley towards the side entrance they normally used. They'd grown to know James the barman quite well so he just let them come in the side whenever they visited. Santana took a final drag of her cigarette and threw her hands up in exaggerated exasperation.  
>'Finally! Jesus Fabray where you been?'<br>Quinn sighed. 'I'll explain.' She nodded towards the door. 'We in?'  
>Santana stubbed out her cigarette against the asphalt of the parking lot and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her grey slacks. She nodded. 'Come on.'<p>

They stepped through the black door into the dingy little bar. AC/DC's _You Shook Me All Night Long_ played to itself from the jukebox. The girls looked at each other and laughed. It was the first song they heard the first time they'd discovered Jimmys. They both headed for the bar, Santana leaning against it attracting James' attention. Who could blame him, Santana turned heads wherever she went. Her white button down was unbuttoned low enough to show some cleavage, but not enough to be indecent. Her collarbone shimmered underneath the lights over the bar.  
>'Hey James!' she grinned. 'Two rum and cokes?'<br>He grinned back at her. Quinn had always suspected that he had a little crush on Santana. 'Comin' right up!'

They sat together in a booth nearby, sitting side by side. James brought over their drinks and they agreed to add them to their tab. Quinn fished her cherries out of her drink; she never understood why James put them in every time. As usual, Santana claimed the cherries from the blonde's napkin. Taking one of them into her mouth, her tongue smoothed over the dark red surface. Her teeth squeezed the skin, juice oozing out of the broken skin. Quinn smiled to herself. Suddenly it became so clear why James insisted on always giving them both cherries, despite knowing Quinn didn't like them much.  
>Quinn tore her eyes away, looking down into her drink. Her fingers traced the cool condensation forming on the outside of the glass tumbler. She saw a tanned finger come into her field of vision. Santana flicked her hand.<br>'Hey Q, you okay…?'  
>Quinn looked up brightly, fixing a smile. 'Yeah I'm good, how was work?'<br>Santana shrugged. She wasn't really there to make small talk about clients and work and they both knew that.  
>'Crap as usual. You actors love to moan!' She got Quinn to smile a little more genuinely. 'Seriously, what's up Q?'<br>She could never hide from the Latina; they were both the same side of the same coin. She looked down again into her drink. 'Physio was hard this morning. The therapist was a bust.'  
>A look of realisation spread across Santana's face. 'Oh god I'm sorry Q I completely forgot! I meant to call you this morning before your appointment.'<br>Quinn shook her head. 'Don't worry about it, I was running late this morning anyway. I probably wouldn't have even answered the phone.'  
>Santana raised an eyebrow. 'To me you would!'<br>Quinn rolled her eyes with a small smile. 'Of course I would…'  
>Santana nodded satisfied. 'That's better. What happened with the therapist?'<br>Quinn watched her own finger trace the glass. 'It was just the introduction session, but I can tell she's gonna get under my skin.'  
>Santana's brow furrowed. 'How come?'<br>'She's just one of those people. They're all calm and welcoming and they just sneak in to your shit.'  
>'I thought you were going because of the accident...'<br>Quinn nodded. 'Me too. She says she's just trying to 'find out a little bit more' about me.'  
>'Does that mean she'll ask about...?'<br>Santana didn't even have to say it; Quinn knew exactly who she was referring to. She answered simply. 'Yeah.'  
>The brunette picked up her glass tumbler. She knew Quinn. She knew when was time to talk, and when was time to just do. She turned and motioned for Quinn to pick up her glass. They clinked glasses, the ice shifting as they raised them to their mouths. Santana nodded to her, and they both downed the dark brown liquid as fast as they could.<p>

The drinks kept coming in quick succession, courtesy of James. Santana used the dark liquid to shrug off the demanding and whiny actors and actresses she had to put up with all day. Quinn used it to drown out everything. Including that little voice in her head telling her to slow down, that sounded remarkably like Rachel Berry.

The dark wood jukebox in the corner clicked and crackled before the familiar sound of Ron Pope began to ooze into the room. Quinn and Santana both smiled at the significance of the song. 'A Drop In The Ocean' played the first time the girls had wandered into Jimmys bar. Quinn and Rachel had been having problems, and Santana was sick of Quinn's whining so she decided to drag her blonde best friend to the nearest bar she could find. It played the next time they came to the bar. Quinn had lured Santana to the bar with a promise of heavy amounts of liquor when she'd had enough of Santana's moping over Brittany. Some sort of nostalgia drifted around the two best friends as the song played out in the bar.

Santana's judgement was severely impaired when she slurred the words. Normally Santana was the one to give Quinn advice, and not the other way around. She swallowed thickly around the dark liquid burning a trail down her throat.

She looked down into her glass. 'Britt bailed.'

Quinn nearly choked on her own drink at the news. 'Again? I thought you guys were a sure deal…?'

Santana shrugged. 'Me too. I dunno Q, I mean she seemed so into it, and now it's as if she doesn't wanna know me.'

Quinn slid her hand over Santana's. 'Sure she does San, she's probably just scared…'

'She shouldn't be; she knows she's got me.'

Quinn rubbed her hand. 'I know, just try to be patient…?'

'It's just hard Q…' A single tear trickled down Santana's cheek. Quinn was a little startled, her best friend hardly ever cried. She gently wiped the tear away with the pad of her thumb.

Santana sniffed and hiccupped quietly. Quinn tried to smile sympathetically. 'I know San, believe me I know.'

Quinn embraced Santana in a tight hug, wrapping herself around the other girl. This is what she needed. She just needed to feel close to someone, someone that she knew wouldn't judge her. It used to be Rachel. She used to feel the warm soft weight of Rachel against her, and the gentle scent of coconut that would waft from that dark impeccably shiny hair.

Santana pulled back and there was a shift. Call it too much liquor. Call it a lack of judgement. Quinn blinked, and she felt the familiar sensation of soft lips on hers. Of dark hair casting a shadow around them. Of a pouty bottom lip brushing against hers. Of soft skin against hers. For a moment she remembered how it all felt. Her heart ached in her chest remembering it all. The music played absently around them, and it echoed within Quinn.

_I was praying that you and me might end up together  
><em>_It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert  
><em>_But I'm holding you closer than most  
><em>_Cause you are my heaven_

Once they'd both come back to some sort of sense they broke apart and looked guiltily at each other.

* * *

><p>Di smiled warmly as usual. 'Good afternoon Quinn, welcome back.'<p>

She always had physical therapy in the morning to help her chest, and the therapy sessions in the afternoon. Kill two birds with one stone or whatever.

Quinn reluctantly shook her hand. 'Hi.'

She gestured for Quinn to sit. 'How does it feel coming in today?'

Quinn shrugged nonchalantly. 'The same.'

Quinn detected an almost frown on Di's face. 'Still not comfortable?'

It had been weeks since Quinn had started seeing Diane, and every week she would wonder if it would get any easier. She'd wonder when she would finally stop feeling so awkward, so completely out of her comfort zone.

Quinn shook her head, so Diane pressed on. 'Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?'

Quinn shook her head once more. 'It's nothing to do with you. I just…I'm not good with this sorta stuff…'

She looked intrigued. 'What sort of stuff Quinn…?'

'Talking about stuff.'

'Opening up?'

Quinn nodded. 'Yeah. Yeah stuff like that.'

'Then may I take the lead today? I normally let you take the lead, let you take me to where you want to talk about. But I do want to talk with you about something, something which I sense you wouldn't open up to me about directly…' Quinn just sat staring down into her cupped hands in her lap as usual. Diane decided to press on. 'I think we should talk about your relationship with Rachel today Quinn…' she spoke gently as ever.

That got her attention. Quinn's head jerked up, almost a reflex on hearing the brunette's name. She looked directly at the therapist, something she didn't do too often. Diane smiled. She knew Rachel's name would get a reaction. They'd skirted around their relationship in their sessions for weeks and Diane knew it was something that they'd have to come to eventually. She knew it would take a little pushing which wasn't normally her style, but she knew Rachel was the key to Quinn's breakthrough.

'When did you meet Rachel…?'

'At a NYU Violet's game when we were both freshman.'

Diane smiled. 'Is that a sports team…?'

'It's the basketball team at NYU. Puck is a big sports fan. When we met Rachel was with him at the game.'

'And did you both become friends after that…?'

'Yeah, we saw each other quite a lot.'

'And when did you start to develop feelings for her…?'

Quinn shrugged. 'I don't know.' Diane tilted her head to the side, and Quinn took that as her cue to continue. 'It was never something I saw coming. It'd never happened to me before.'

'That must have been scary for you…'

'At first,' Quinn nodded. 'At first it was. I guess I tried to deny it.'

'And how was that…?'

'I didn't let myself think about her. I'd always encourage myself to think about other people. Other…other _guys_…'

'Why just guys Quinn…?'

'My parents are both catholic nutjobs. Thinking about girls like that is unheard of in our house.'

'But you're not living in that house anymore Quinn…' Quinn's mouth remained shut, her face stoic. 'And when did Rachel feel that way about you in return…?'

Quinn shook her head. 'I don't know. It all kinda started as an accident. She was still with Puck, and I was just fooling around with another girl. I told myself that it was okay to just have my 'college experience'. I don't think either of us knew what it was gonna turn into.'

'And this 'Puck'…he found out about it…?'

She nodded. 'Eventually.'

'How is your relationship with him now?'

'I thought it was ruined.'

'How do you mean…?'

Quinn sighed. 'How do you forgive your best friend for taking the girl you love?'

'A good friend would understand. As I understand he sat by your bedside until you woke up. He obviously still values your friendship Quinn.'

'I was on the phone with him before it happened.'

'Your accident?'

Those two words hit Quinn deep within her chest. It had been weeks since the accident, but the memory was still there, untreated, waiting in the back of her mind. She felt breathless, unsteady whenever she thought about it. Quinn knew the wound needed to be sterilized, however hard it was going to be. Diane waited patiently. Quinn was getting there, slowly but surely.

Quinn looked to the little round table. A box of white Kleenex sat waiting for her hand to dip into the box, and a small glass of water invited her to take a sip. She knew she had to do this. She had to talk about it once and for all.

Diane smiled, interrupting her swirling thoughts. 'Just take your time Quinn; this is a safe space for you.'

Quinn took a breath through her nose. 'I'd been to see Rachel. We'd been for a drink, to catch up y'know? And then we went back to her place. Things took a turn for the worst and I left. Puck called me when I left and I was walking across the street and I didn't see the car coming. I went to hang up and then I don't remember much else.'

'What do you mean by 'a turn for the worst'?'

'I came to L.A. for her, to get her back into my life. When things finally started to work out…or at least I thought they were…things just completely fell apart.'

'And why did you decide you wanted her back into your life?'

'She's the first person I ever fell in love with.'

'Do you have any sort of a motto within your life Quinn?' Quinn shrugged absently, feeling the strain of the conversation weighing down on her shoulders. 'Can I suggest one that I think will help you…?'

Quinn nodded. 'If things with you and Rachel are meant to work out, they will. But sometimes…they don't work out Quinn. And sometimes they're not meant to…'


	28. Chapter 28

_**28. Skinny Love**_

Quinn stood at the bathroom sink, combing her hair roughly with her fingers. A knock at the door disturbed her train of thought.

'Quinn open the door, I need a leak!' A voice called through the white wooden door. Santana, charming as always.

The blonde opened the door with a smile. 'A pleasure as always Miss Lopez…'

Santana shoved past, dashing to the bathroom. 'Oh don't call me that, my clients call me that.' She lifted the lid of the toilet seat and sat down.

'San! Don't you ever shut the door…?' The blonde averted her eyes, turning her attention to the television screen.

'Of course I do! When I go number two…' her voice echoed around the white tiled bathroom walls.

Quinn chuckled with a scoff. 'Of course you do…'

'I may not be the most lady-like, but I do have _some_ class Q.'

Quinn smiled, keeping her thoughts to herself. She reached for the mini bar. 'You want a drink?'

Santana appeared back into the room after the noise of flushing and running water. She towelled her hands. She raised an eyebrow. 'After last time?'

They hadn't talked about what happened at Jimmys. They rarely talked about much that involved too much emotion. But still Quinn had to smile.

'It doesn't have to be alcohol…'

Santana set her hand on her hip. 'Q, it's us. Of course there has to be alcohol involved.'

Quinn laughed; she knew the brunette was right. She tossed a tiny bottle of Malibu at her best friend. She slid a glass tumbler and a small glass bottle of Coke across the coffee table towards her.

Santana smiled. 'That's more like it.'

They each poured their drinks and sat side by side on the comfortable white couch.

'So you're really leaving, huh?'

Quinn nodded. 'Yeah, I'm needed in New York. The girl who's playing Alice got sick, so they need me to fill in. Besides, I can't afford to live in this hotel forever.'

'What about the incessant babbler?'

Santana didn't even have to say her name and it still made Quinn's spine stiffen at the thought of her.

'What about her? There's nothing happening with us, she made that pretty clear.'

'She sat by your bedside in the hospital until you woke up.'

'Who told you that?'

'She did. She called me to tell me what had happened.'

'Well nothing is happening with us. I can't stick around forever on a slim possibility. I have a life to get on with.'

Santana raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'You've certainly changed your tune…what about 'all guns blazing Quinn'?'

She shrugged. 'I guess reality caught up with me. Getting hit by a car will do that to you.'

The phone in the corner of Quinn's hotel room began to ring loudly. They just let it go to voicemail. A familiar voice filled the room from the speakerphone.

'_Hi Quinn…it's been a while since we talked…_' Rachel's voice sounded oddly pitched and shaky. Santana looked from the phone to Quinn.

'Is she…_drunk_…?'

Rachel's voice kept rambling in the corner.

'…_Quinn pick up the phone…talk to meee!_'

Quinn nodded to Santana. 'She keeps leaving me drunk messages.'

'How long has this been going on?'

Quinn tallied up the number in her head quickly. 'Every other night for about two weeks now.'

'Are you _kidding_…?'

'Puck keeps checking on her. She's safe.'

The phone rang again. This time they both knew who it was.

'_You know what Quinn Fabray?_' she hiccupped. '_I hate you! You're a selfish asshole! The least you could do is call me back but no! I haven't heard from you in weeks! Weeks Quinn! Fine. Screw you Fabray!_' The voicemail beeped, cutting the message off.

'You haven't spoken to her in weeks…?'

'My therapist thinks it would be better if I don't. She thinks I should just think for myself for a while, at least until I get my head straight.'

Santana nodded in understanding. 'Of course. That doesn't make you selfish Quinn…no matter what she says.'

The blonde nodded with a trace of a smile. 'She has no filter when she's drunk. I'm used to it by now.'

'Have you told Puck what she's been saying to you?'

She shook her head. 'I'm sure he's been getting the live version. Probably a special message or two for him too.'

Santana smiled. 'Somehow I can imagine that…'

The phone rang a third time. The brunette huffed.

'Are you kidding me Berry?'

The voicemail clicked on. '_Quiiiinn…I didn't mean it…I don't hate you…y'know that don't you? Pick up the phone so I know that you know…'_

Quinn rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh. She'd gotten used to the drunken ramblings invading her room. She wondered whether they'd follow her once she moved back to New York. Rachel did have her cellphone number after all…

'You need to call Puck and get him to try to talk some sense into that large head of hers.'

'It won't work. You know what she's like once she gets an idea into her head.'

Santana grimaced. 'Yeah, unfortunately I do.' She grumbled.

Rachel had been the one to set Brittany and Santana up on a blind date. Both Santana and Quinn knew as soon as the little starlet began conjuring up the idea, there was no going back. For Santana the whole thing was a gift and a curse.

'How are you and Brittany anyway?'

A tell-tale smile began creeping over Santana's mouth. 'We fight and she gets frustrated with me but…I think we're gonna be okay, Britts and I.'

A smile played on Quinn's lips too. Finally she got to see her best friend care for someone, the way she cared for Rachel. At least it was all working out for one of them, she figured.

'I'm happy to hear that San. You deserve the best of each other.'

Santana smiled for a moment then looked at her watch. 'Actually, I'd better get going. I said I'd cook for B tonight, she's teaching classes all day today and she gets super tired.'

Quinn raised that infamous brow. 'Santana Lopez! You mean you're actually housebroken now…?'

Santana rose from the couch and straightened out her slightly crumpled shirt. Quinn was glad to see Santana still had that twinkle in her eye after all those years.

'Me? Never…' Santana winked. Quinn laughed in response and walked her best friend over to the door.

'You call me if you need any help packing?'

Quinn nodded with a grateful smile. 'Yeah I'll let you know.'

They shared a parting hug, and Quinn was left alone with nothing but empty boxes and piles of clothes.

Once Santana was down the hallway and certifiably far enough away from Quinn's door, she dialled the waiting number on her cellphone.

'Yeah Puck? It's me. Look I'mma need your help with something. Just keep tomorrow free okay…?'


	29. Chapter 29

_**A/N: **_**Okay everyone, this is the penultimate chapter. If you wanna get the real feel to this chapter, listen to Barcelona - Come Back When You Can, it really gave me feelings for this particular chapter! It jumps around a little but I've tried to make that clear. Thank you so much to anyone who has supported this journey. I hope you enjoy. **

* * *

><p><em><strong>29. Come Back When You Can<strong>_

A loud hammering on the front door of her apartment awoke Rachel Berry with a start. If it hadn't come again a second time she would've thought it was just from last night. She struggled out of bed to her feet, her head still spinning a little. Okay, so maybe she was still a little buzzed. Maybe.

And then the voice came.

'Berry open this door right now or I swear to Hades I will…'

The door swung open revealing Rachel in last night's rumpled clothes draped in a dark grey blanket.

Santana looked her up and down. 'Well shit…you look worse than I remembered…'

Rachel rolled her eyes and walked away. She certainly hadn't missed uncensored Santana. She left the taller brunette standing in the doorway while she flunked down onto her couch. Santana walked in and slammed the door shut behind her.

Rachel groaned gripping one side of her head. 'Santana, can you not?'

Ignoring the smaller brunette's request, Santana dumped her bag on Rachel's kitchen counter and retrieved her cellphone.

'Puck it's Santana. I'mma need you at Rachel's ASAP…Yeah she's fine. Just get here…'

Less than twenty minutes later, another knock came on Rachel's door. Santana greeted Puck at the door and let him in. Rachel had fallen asleep on the couch, gently snoring. Santana found it irritatingly cute. Jerry Springer was droning on to himself in the corner.

Puck looked over to her. 'She was drinking again last night?'

Santana nodded, keeping her voice down. 'I was at Quinn's. She kept drunk dialling her and leaving messages. Q told me they hadn't spoken in weeks. She leaves today and I just don't want them to part like this…'

Puck's expression dropped. 'Wait, she leaves today?'

'Her flight to JFK is at 1.'

'…And you want my help to get Rachel to the airport to say goodbye to Quinn…'

Santana smiled. 'Y'know, you're a lot smarter than you let on Noah Puckerman…'

Puck shrugged. 'Comes with the territory.' He rubbed his hands together thinking. 'Okay let's get her into the bathroom and we'll put her in a cold shower. That should jumpstart her.'

'And if she bites?'

Puck smirked. 'Then we'll just have to make sure neither of us gets bitten. Come on.'

Santana pulled off the grey blanket draped over Rachel's middle. Puck picked up her small body from the couch and hoisted her over his shoulder, in a fireman's lift. For once Santana was grateful for Puck's macho side. She didn't really feel like dragging an unconscious Rachel to the bathroom by her legs like a dead body. That kinda shit freaked her out a little.

* * *

><p>Puck pointed to the shower and she pulled back the clear glass door. Together they manoeuvred Rachel in between them both, and stood directly under the large round silver shower head. Puck angled her so he'd take a lot of the water instead of soaking Santana too. He steadied Rachel leaning toward him and nodded to the temperature control.<p>

'Twist it towards the wall, that'll lower the temperature.' He whispered carefully.

Santana followed his instruction and twisted the handle a few times. He nodded to the brushed chrome button on the wall, just above the round handle.

He nodded, readying himself. 'Push it.' He whispered.

A bitterly cold gush of water rained down on the three of them making them gasp. Rachel's eyes bulged open, her arms shot out to her sides; almost knocking Puck off balance. Puck nodded to Santana, telling her to stand steady while Rachel came round properly.

The cold water began to soak through Rachel's clothes to her skin. Her eyes shot to Puck. 'What the hell are you doing?' she shrieked, her voice sounding even louder echoing around the bathroom.

Puck nodded to his accomplice and Santana shut off the water.

Bringing a shuddering Rachel out of the shower, Santana passed her a warm towel. Rachel snatched it towelling her face. 'Are you both _out of your minds_?'

'Well I'm glad you haven't drunk away your ability to chastise.' Santana replied sarcastically.

Puck smirked. 'Well it's not the first time we've showered together is it Rach…?'

Santana shivered at the thought. 'Okay, so did not need to hear that.'

Puck winked at her and she grimaced in return.

Rachel wrapped herself in the towel. 'Seriously what are you both doing here? Unless you only came to piss me off which…well mission accomplished.'

Santana narrowed her eyes. 'Watch your mouth Berry; we're here to help you.'

'Help me to what…? Get wet…?'

Puck lowered the tone in his voice. 'Usually yeah…'

Santana slapped his arm in disgust. 'Puck, focus!'

Puck nodded, snapping himself out of his half-daydream. 'We're gonna take a little trip Rach…'

Rachel narrowed her eyes at them both.

* * *

><p>The cab driver dumped her suitcases on the sidewalk outside LAX. She smiled at him and paid the fee. 'Thanks.'<p>

She made her way inside the busy terminal. Thankfully the check-in was open for her flight. She threw her two heavy suitcases down onto the conveyer belt beside the desk. Of course she was way over the baggage allowance. She always was. Reluctantly she paid the excess fees for both bags and watched them roll away.

Making her way to the departure lounge, her phone buzzed in her cardigan pocket.

_**Sam:**_

_Hello stranger! I hear you're coming back to the big apple? I hope Rachel's coming with you… X_

Her heart sank a little further, painfully aware that Rachel wasn't with her.

_**Reply to: Sam**_

_Hey stranger, who'd you hear that from…? I'm at the airport now, alone x_

She clicked send and dropped her phone into her bag as she was approaching the security checks. She put her bag onto the desk next to the x-ray machine, and waited to go through the metal detector.

* * *

><p>Santana huffed. 'Can you not drive <em>any faster<em>?'

Puck gripped the wheel tightly, eyes glued to the freeway. 'As much fun as it would be to have a little reuniting with the LAPD, that would kinda slow us down, so not really!'

Santana kept her voice down, still trying to hide their destination from Rachel sitting in the backseat. 'I've tried to slow her up as much as I could but we still need to be quick Puck…'

Puck's eyes slid over to his brunette accomplice. 'Oh no…San, what did you do…?'

That little glint in Santana's eye re-appeared.

* * *

><p>Quinn stepped through the metal detector without a problem. She moved over to the other side of the x-ray machine, patiently awaiting her bag to come out onto the desk for her to retrieve.<p>

A sombre dark-haired man in security uniform stared at the screen attached to the machine. He waved over a woman dressed in identical uniform and they both examined the screen, nodding and whispering to each other. Quinn had noticed the machine had stopped, with her bag inside.

The woman turned looking at her. 'Are you Lucy Quinn Fabray?'

Quinn's pulse began to quicken under the woman's stare. 'Yes.'

The man pulled Quinn's bag out of the machine and held it out to the woman. She took it and tucked it under her arm. 'Ms. Fabray, I would like you to come with me please.'

Quinn followed the woman's lead into an interview room, just across from the security checks. The woman placed Quinn's bag on the metal desk. She cleared her throat.

'Could you have a seat please, Ms Fabray?'

Quinn sat quickly, feeling very uneasy. 'I have a flight to JFK to catch in half an hour…'

The woman nodded. 'I am aware of that Ms Fabray.' The woman unbuckled Quinn's brown messenger bag. 'Did you pack your own bag Ms Fabray?'

Quinn nodded quickly. 'Yes I did.'

The woman nodded, lifting the flap and looking inside.

Quinn swallowed hard. 'Could you tell me why you brought me in here please…?'

The woman pulled on a pair of white latex gloves. She turned her attention to the inside of Quinn's bag and didn't make eye contact when she answered.

'When your bag went through the scanner, my colleague and I saw what looked like some suspicious items.'

The blonde's jaw went slack. '_S-suspicious items_…?' she stuttered. 'What kind of suspicious items…?'

The woman continued to fish through Quinn's bag, placing her phone, diary and other items on the table. 'Have you ever taken or possessed drugs Ms Fabray?'

'_Drugs_?' She squealed. 'No! Never!'

'And you say you packed this bag?'

'Yes, I'm the only one who's touched it.'

The woman nodded, still rifling through Quinn's possessions. 'What we saw on the scanner looked like narcotics Ms Fabray…'

Quinn felt herself go pale. She couldn't believe this was happening to her.

'Why are you going to New York Ms Fabray?'

'I live there. I-I work there.'

'What is your occupation?'

'I'm an actress.'

'And how long have you lived there?'

She grimaced, feeling like she was back in the therapist's office. 'Since just before I started college a few years ago.'

'So you're not a New York native?'

Quinn shook her head. 'No, I'm from Ohio.' The woman nodded but didn't respond, just pulling more and more out of the bag. 'I swear I've never taken or held drugs…'

'Try to stay calm Ms Fabray, this is standard procedure.'

* * *

><p>Puck's car screeched to a halt in a parking bay outside the airport. Rachel lifted her head to the window. 'Wh…why are we at LAX…?'<p>

Santana unbuckled herself and looked round to Rachel. 'Because we've reached your destination.'

Santana got out of the passenger seat and made her way around the car.

'Noah why are we here?'

He simply smiled at her in the rear-view.

Santana wrenched Rachel's door open and dragged her out of the car. She slammed the door and signalled for Puck to wait there. She rushed them both inside, doing her best to ignore Rachel's intense questioning. She directed them to the departure gates, sprinting across the terminal. Rachel trailed her, almost pulling her arm out of its socket.

* * *

><p>The woman continued to dig through the bag. Quinn anxiously glanced at her watch. The flight would now be boarding. Finally the woman's hand hit something, and she pulled out a white packet.<p>

She finally smiled at Quinn, recognising the packaging. 'Get headaches Ms Fabray…?'

Quinn found the question a little odd. 'Sometimes…'

The woman placed the white packet back into Quinn's bag, followed by the rest of her possessions. She removed her latex gloves and slid the bag to Quinn's side of the table.

'Have a safe flight Ms Fabray. You're free to go.'

Quinn quickly picked up her bag and dashed out of the room, she would have just enough time to get to the gate before they closed it for departure. Digging through her bag, she brought out the same little white packet that the woman had been looking at. Headache pills. She gritted her teeth and grumbled to herself, knowing exactly who would plant something like that in her bag. _Santana_.

She raced towards the gate and thrust her ticket at the attendant, panting from her run. The attendant smiled patiently. 'Just in time.'

Quinn smiled gratefully when he gave her back her ticket. She checked her phone for a final time.

_**Sam: **_

_Oh just a little birdie told me… Have a safe flight! X_

* * *

><p>Santana and Rachel flew into the departure lounge, headed in the direction of Quinn's gate. They saw the unmistakable glimpse of blonde hair just before the attendant shut the door to the gate.<p>

Rachel's chest heaved, finally recognising why they were there. '_Quinn_…'


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: So this is the end of the road for Collide, the final chapter. A huge thank you to anyone who has taken time to read even a chapter of this story or anyone who has alerted/favourited it. Thank you for all of your reviews, they've been so great to read and I'm really sorry if I didn't get back to you, but I definitely read them all! It's taken me nearly a year to put this monster together, but now it's time to come to an end. For the last time, enjoy!**

**(Oh and this chapter was named after Led Zeppelin's _That's The Way. _Check it!)  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>30. That's The Way<strong>_

The rain pounded down, bouncing off the sidewalk and the sea of swiftly passing umbrellas. Rachel stepped off the sidewalk, avoiding the large puddle flooding from a nearby drain.

She darted under the stone awning of the theatre. That's one thing she hadn't missed about New York – the rain. She shook out her small black umbrella quickly onto the street. Thankfully her new black Louboutin high heels were virtually untouched by the rain. Her black skinny jeans hugged her legs, shrunken a little thanks to the damp air. She unbuttoned her blazer, breathing a small sigh of relief to be out of the oppressive rain. She smiled a little to herself as the song _April Showers _from _Bambi _popped into her head. She hummed the tune faintly as she approached the small ticket kiosk.

The sandy blonde-haired girl behind the glass looked bored, leaning her chin into the palm of her hand. People streamed past on the street, chatting animatedly onto phones, ducking for cover against the elements; but the theatre remained relatively quiet. Rachel half shrugged, Tuesday afternoons at the theatre never seemed too busy in the summer. Most people were too busy out having fun in the sun in Central Park.

She shook herself out of her little daydream. 'Hello.' She smiled pleasantly at the girl behind the counter.

The girl behind the glass sat up straight but didn't look any less bored by the whole thing. Rachel could see her badge read: _I'm Henrietta, how can I help?_

She was pretty glad she didn't need any help, as she was sure Henrietta probably wouldn't give her much.

'One ticket for _Alice Through The Looking Glass_ please.'

The blonde typed a few things into her small computer, her fingers hap-hazardly hitting the keys. The machine whirred and Rachel's ticket popped up from the little gold rimmed slot.

Henrietta tugged the ticket from the slot swiftly and posted it through the tray between them both, next to the few dollar bills Rachel had deposited into the same clear tray. She looked up and Rachel saw a small glimmer of recognition in the girl's eye. However her expression stayed the same.

New York was different to L.A. In L.A., Rachel's star had rocketed. She couldn't even leave the house to get simple groceries without the paparazzi stalking her, documenting her every move with a series of photographs. Of course she was thankful for every single one of her fans, but some days she couldn't get a single moment of peace. She always appreciated her fans and their undying loyal support, but some days her hand ached signing countless autographs and her jaw felt heavy from smiling for so many photographs and chatting so much.

That's the difference with New York; Rachel mused to herself as she thanked Henrietta and retrieved her ticket. In New York, of course she was recognised, but true New Yorkers didn't give a shit. They just kept going about their business as if Rachel Berry wasn't a Tony and Emmy Award winning actress, but just another girl in New York.

She gave a small nostalgic sigh as she heard the _beep-beep _of the ticket machine scanning her barcode. Television and movies were great and they certainly paid the bills, but the theatre always was, as always will be her home.

The tall balding man smiled at her and returned her ticket. 'Enjoy the show.'

Rachel smiled gratefully. 'Thank you, I'm sure I will.'

* * *

><p>Rachel pulled back the long gold handle on the black double doors leading into the dark auditorium. She was running a little uncharacteristically late. She was able to just slink into her seat before the music blared from the speakers mounted high up beside the stage, giving her a small shock.<p>

She and Quinn hadn't spoken since Quinn had been having her treatment at the rehab centre. She had wanted to support Quinn, first and foremost because the blonde had meant so much to her. Truthfully, also because Rachel felt somewhat responsible for what had happened. Puck had tried to convince her time and time again that she wasn't too blame for any of it, but she suspected he was just trying to convince himself that he too wasn't to blame.

She wasn't sure what had made Quinn pull away, and she knew that she probably never would know. It was Quinn's first show back after everything that had happened and Rachel just wanted to be in the audience cheering her on, just like Quinn had always done for her.

* * *

><p>Quinn quickly climbed the stairs, taking two at a time. Rachel had tried to call her while she was still in class, but she left no message. Worried something awful had happened, Quinn jammed her key in the lock. Rachel never called her while she was in class; she'd always been on the receiving end of rambling lectures by the small brunette berating other students for using their cellphones when they were meant to be concentrating.<p>

The door flew back from the other side, Rachel standing there beaming at Quinn. The sight threw the blonde off slightly.

'What's wrong? What's happened…? Are you okay…?' Quinn asked quickly, and a little out of breath.

Rachel couldn't hide it anymore. She squealed loudly with a laugh and threw herself around the blonde. Quinn stumbled back a little from the unexpected ambush. Petite legs wrapped around her waist, small tanned arms crushing around her neck. Quinn's arms wrapped around the back of her ribcage, supporting her.

'Rach…?'

Her small face withdrew from the pale neck in front of her. Rachel stared straight at Quinn; almost nose to nose with a smile the Cheshire cat couldn't contend with.

'I did it.' she grinned. 'I'm going to be Eva Peron!'

Quinn cackled in triumph. 'You did it!' She briefly twirled them both around, before clashing their lips together, both smiling against each other. A slender pale finger swept messed up bangs away from tanned features. She peppered light kisses all over Rachel's face and held her tight.

'I knew you could do it. I'm _so_ proud of you Peanut.' She beamed at the little excitable bundle in her arms.

The Red Eagle Company's production of _Evita _ran for four months in a small off-Broadway theatre. Rachel only missed two performances throughout the whole run when she was struck down with the flu. Quinn tried to keep the brunette home for longer so she could properly recover, but the stubborn little diva insisted that like the show, she must go on.

Quinn rehearsed every line and every song with Rachel, to the point that she almost knew the part as well as Rachel did. She lost count of how many times they'd rehearsed, but Quinn never failed to be speechless every single time Rachel sang _Don't Cry For Me Argentina_. It only got worse when she performed the iconic song live on stage. Tears sprung into her hazel eyes and her lip quivered at every note oozing effortlessly from the tiny brunette's body. Without fail, Quinn led the standing ovation that Rachel and the cast received after every performance. Quinn was like Rachel's lucky charm.

* * *

><p>Rachel wanted desperately to be Quinn's lucky charm. She laughed, applauded, cheered and even teared up throughout the blonde's performance. She'd missed the sound of Quinn's voice and her breathy alto. Up until Quinn's return, Rachel had forgotten the details about the blonde. The things that irritated her, the things that almost drove her to commit a serious crime. But ultimately, those were the things that Rachel loved the most. It was frustrating, it was difficult, but at least Rachel knew what she once had with Quinn was real.<p>

The two hour performance passed quickly. A little too quickly for Rachel's liking. Up until the final drop of the curtain, Rachel had felt as if she should be there, that she belonged there for Quinn's sake. But once the audience began to stir from their seats for the final time, Rachel's confidence began to dwindle.

She stayed seated for a minute or so after most people had vacated the premises, back out into the late grey New York afternoon. Just like it used to, Rachel felt a pulling deep inside her. She knew what it was, and what it meant. Lucy Quinn Fabray.

* * *

><p>She left the auditorium and headed for the foyer, her senses positively tingling. She knew she had to try this time. She had to approach Quinn. She wasn't even sure if Quinn would want to see her, but she had to try.<p>

She slipped through the red door peeling paint in the corner of the foyer. The small off-Broadway theatres never had good security. It wouldn't have mattered if they did to Rachel, as everyone knew who she was in the musical theatre circuit. She made her way down the cool, poorly lit white corridor. It smelled oddly of damp, and not the nice kind like rain. She passed red door after red door, the pulling sensation inside of her growing stronger and stronger.

She finally reached another red door, also peeling paint. A white laminated sign stared her square in the face. In black bold font the sign read: _QUINN FABRAY _with a smaller _Alice _printed directly underneath. Rachel smiled to herself. Quinn had finally made it.

She knocked politely against the peeling paint three times. She heard shuffling and a few whispered profanities coupled with the sound of the movement of objects on the other side of the door. She shook her head to herself smirking, almost being able to see what was behind that door. Quinn had to be the messiest person she'd ever met.

The door flew open. Quinn stood there, still in her Alice costume – a blue and white pinafore, white pulled up socks and black pumps. She'd removed her stage make up, but her black Alice headband was still fixed atop her head. Her choppy blonde bob stuck out at messy angles. The sight made Rachel smile, and the pulling deep inside finally began to settle.

'Hi Q…'


End file.
